Art of Science
by savedbyautumn
Summary: History has never been favourable to Anna due to all that she has lost within the fiery ruins of her life. But it's possible that she has found a home in the arms of those that she trusts. Life seems well enough but there's something that runs through her veins that not even she can decipher. Maybe life hasn't reached its peaceful point yet as Truth remains to found.
1. Paths Crossed

**Fullmetal Alchemist holds a very special place in my heart because it's just a tale that is so well-told. It evokes a variety of emotions from happiness to sadness to rage and hilarity. Honestly, it changed my life and brought forth creativity within me that just made me want to write as well as tell a story of my own. So I made Anna who I'm really excited to share with you all.**

 **I do hope you enjoy her tale and have a wonderful time. :)**

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The time was almost past ten in the evening when Anna made her way to the small inn that was her temporary home. It wasn't far from where she had just been and the journey was cut short due to the backstreets that she took. Her footsteps echoed throughout the quiet night as the heels of her boots clicked against the cobblestoned pathways and the sound was welcoming as it didn't leave her alone with the silence.

A brown paper bag rested within her arms with the opening folded over to ensure the items inside didn't get wet. The rain had started to fall before Anna left the art supply store and poured for an hour straight. The owner of the store she visited had been kind and luckily, stayed open for longer than he needed to so Anna didn't get drenched. Once the rain ceased its falling enough for her to go, she gave a quick thank-you to the owner before heading out into the night.

Being in Central always made her feel a little on edge because it was unfamiliar.

It wasn't home.

Supply runs brought her here mostly but she never stuck around long enough to explore, never really having the time. It was a little too big for her and she enjoyed the smallness of her neighbourhood in East City. Everything was easier over there, nothing too out of the ordinary and that was how she liked it. Besides, Central was like a labyrinth with its various alleyways and complex grid system.

It was safe to say Anna preferred her home through and through.

But it was a nice change of pace from what the Eastern city had to offer and she always appreciated something different every once in a while. Everything was faster here with people rushing to work in the morning and opening their businesses by seven o'clock at the latest. No one was ever asleep past eight in the morning or heading to midnight. It was a continuous hustle and it was interesting to observe the commuters as they went on by. So many different characters with all sorts of personalities.

People watching became much more interesting.

Unfortunately, she wasn't here for pleasure but for business as she had to collect a few special art supplies for the art store she worked at back home. The old lady who ran it, Milly, wasn't able to make the frequent trips herself so enlisted her to fetch the required items. It was a hassle but Anna loved that old lady and she was the one who always provided the necessary funds for her to have a comfortable stay wherever she went.

There was nearly nothing that Anna wouldn't do for Milly. The woman was like the grandmother she never had and taught her everything about art as well as taught her how to draw. Took her in and made her feel like a part of her family.

Doing these supply runs was the least she can do.

The items were two jars of rare paint that were brought all the way from Xing and a roll of paper that was slightly coarse to the touch. Anna had more than squealed at the sight of them before touching the paper and nearly crying at the beautiful feel of good paper beneath her fingertips. If Milly intended on using that paper for personal use, Anna was going to have to ask if she could borrow some.

"Knowing Milly, she'll probably tell me to assemble those heavy easels in exchange." Anna deadpanned as she turned a corner to head out onto the main street. " _Like the alchemists say, equivalent exchange!_ " Anna mimicked before rolling her eyes. "Complete nonsense—"

Her footsteps slowed down as she came across a small alleyway and noted the sounds of clicking. It followed a pattern and Anna concluded that someone was drawing something onto the ground. It could be with chalk or something but whoever was drawing it seemed to be in a hurry. Nearing the alleyway, she took in the sight of a crouched figure who was shrouded in darkness and they hadn't noticed her yet. Most people would have slowly walked away before hurrying off in a different direction because this whole scenario screamed _trouble_. But Anna wasn't one to simply turn on her heel and walk.

Anna walked a little closer and that was when she was noticed, the figure looking at her with a quick turn of the head. She still couldn't see them very well but that didn't bother her in the slightest as she took another step forward, the brown bag held tightly in her arms.

"Hey there." Her greeting was nonchalant as she stopped about five feet away from the person. "Whatcha doing?"

The person didn't answer but simply looked at her with the whites of their eyes. A slight shiver of fear cascaded down her spine but she ignored it. Being faced with potential danger was nothing new to her though it was crazy how many times she'd encounter life-threatening situations in her fifteen years of living.

"You gonna tell me?" she asked. "Or am I going to have to alert the authorities?"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the person spoke, his voice deep and words harsh. "I say you should just go on home and forget you even saw me."

Anna blinked before sighing as she looked for a safe place to drop her bag of those _very_ important items. She rolled up the sleeves of her light grey jacket and rubbed her gloved hands together.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," she told him simply and it was then the figure gave an off-putting smile before standing up from their crouch, moving into the light.

The person was tall and male with dark hair and eyes that seemed like the same colour due to the dim lighting. He was dressed in a tattered state uniform with a cloak covering his upper half to allow him to hide in the dark. Taking a good look at him, Anna furrowed her brow before her eyes widened with realisation.

He was the rogue state alchemist they were trying to catch.

Roy had filled her in before she had travelled to Central and told her to keep a lookout in case he showed up.

And stop him if she could.

"You should go home before you get hurt." The Freezing Alchemist warned her but all Anna did was ready herself into a fighting stance.

"Once again, as much as I'd love to go home and sleep, I can't do that."

Isaac McDougal stared at her for a moment before getting himself ready, all set to use his alchemy if needed.

"I've got to admit. I appreciate you've got the nerve," he said before lunging at her with a loud roar with his arm stretched out. Anna was quick to clap her hands together before falling to her knees and placing her hands on the floor to bring forth a blue light. A wall came up between them and that gave Anna enough time to transmute a simple bo staff made up of the strong cobblestone. It wasn't long before a hand came through the stone wall and the fight commenced.

Roy Mustang had been expecting to be summoned to Central ever since Isaac McDougal had been terrorizing the city. It was a case of serious proportions and no one knew what he was exactly doing. He had wounded as well as killed soldiers who had gone out to look for him and had been labelled as a high threat. It wasn't certain if he was just aiming for those of military standard or if he was willing to hurt civilians too.

It took him about four hours to finally reach Central and he was picked up by his welcome party before escorted to the Central Command Centre. All through the quiet ride, he thought of possibilities regarding taking down McDougal as well as gaining favour from the Fuhrer. The Fuhrer had called him out himself as he was known for his excellent flame alchemy and the accuracy of his aim. Every state alchemist had been called down to help deal with the situation but Roy had been summoned particularly for his command and control.

While it was highly important that McDougal was caught, Roy wasn't above taking an opportunity when he saw one.

Luckily, he already had an insider who already in the city and promised that she would look out for the man if she ever saw him.

" _Goodness," Anna had moaned while accepting the file from him. "And all I wanted to do was pick up some paint, not engage in combat."_

 _Roy had smiled knowingly. "You don't have to engage in combat."_

" _Yeah but I'm gonna," she replied, sighing._

Anna Harris was a reliable source of information and was never one to jeopardize a task with the fear of it causing more problems. Roy knew that if Anna were to find McDougal within the city, it was the man who would have a real struggle keeping up with her. She was fast with hidden strength but most people underestimated her due to her small size and while it irritated her, Anna always used it to her advantage.

She was fire and was not meant to be messed with.

Reaching the Fuhrer's office, Roy immediately saluted him before standing straight and tall as the Fuhrer King Bradley addressed him. He told Roy of the current situation and Roy nodded along, taking in every piece of information that he could.

"It's good to have you here, Colonel Mustang," King Bradley told him with an honest nod. "I'd like for you to be in charge of the Freezing Alchemist's capture. I'm sure that things will run smoothly and he shall be taken down in no time."

"Of course, Sir," Roy replied.

"Oh and he's back in town," King Bradley added. "So you may want to use him while you have him."

Roy blinked before asking, "By _him_ , Sir, do you mean-?"

"Yes. The Fullmetal Alchemist."

Anna blocked a punch that curved towards her face and pushed back hard which caused him to stumble. She took that chance to launch herself into the air and aimed the bo staff sky high with the intention of slamming it down onto his head. But he managed to dodge it in time and Anna did a quick flip back before he tried to go for a kick to her face. The combat continued on as Anna weaved and punched and kicked with as much strength she could give. But her energy was depleting and it showed when McDougal landed a hard kick into her side.

With a pained yell, she felt herself slam into the brick wall and huffed in annoyance as he attempted to come at her again. She moved on quick feet and ignored the pulsing pain from her ribs as she continued to go for it. There was no way that she was letting this man get away while he was right here in her sight. But he was good at fighting with years of training on his side and while Anna was quite good and trained heavily too, this man was also bigger and stronger than she was. It didn't make a difference because she had faced people twice her size but it was late and her body was drained and—

This time, he went in for another punch and Anna ducked but didn't see the other fist in time to move out of its way. It collided against her right temple and Anna was sent crashing onto the floor with a resounding groan. McDougal took that opportunity to escape further into the alley which meant that he simply wanted to wear her down and not kill her. Which was kind considering that most people would have ended her life there and then. But there was no time to spend thinking about humanity because there was a criminal on the loose and he was so close to her fingertips.

Roy would never let her live this down if he escaped.

Gathering her strength with a final push, she heaved herself up before flinching at the pain from both her side and right temple.

"I didn't want to engage in combat." she murmured tiredly and took off down the alleyway in the same direction that the rogue alchemist raced off in.

He was quite the fast one but Anna was doing well in keeping up with him, dodging and hopping over anything that he pushed into her path. They were approaching a turn up ahead and two soldiers came into view before hearing the sounds of running footsteps. The soldiers turned to look at them before quickly aimed their firearms at him.

"There he is! He's coming!" they exclaimed and made to pull the trigger when it was for certain that the alchemist wasn't going to stop. Anna had terribly high hopes that McDougal would stop and that would give her a chance to cage him up with her alchemy. But the moment she saw him go to move his arms, her eyes widened and she yelled, "Move out of the way!" Her hands made gestures for them to step aside but they didn't heed her warning as McDougal was quick to cast them away with sharpened ice.

Anna cursed beneath her breath as she hopped over the ice shards even though every fibre in her being wanted to stop and tend to the wounded soldiers. But there wasn't any time and it seemed like McDougal wasn't pulling any punches when it came to completing whatever quest he had in the works.

She soon got close enough to grab the ends of his cloak and attempted to pull him back with as much strength that she could muster. But he turned around sharply and aimed to grab her with those hands that could easily freeze someone whole. She avoided them swiftly, keeping a tight hold on the cloak and going for a roundhouse kick, the heel of her shoe connecting strongly with his face. He flew back a couple of feet with the cloak now stripped from him as he landed roughly onto the ground. The cloak was in Anna's hand and she tossed it aside, her expression stone cold as she neared McDougal who glared up at her, spitting out a bit of blood.

"Now," Anna said, her voice unwavering. "Will you come peacefully?"

McDougal maintained the glare and Anna held it, the two of them simply staring at each other as the sounds of more soldiers made their way towards them. "I hear noises coming from over here!" one of them alerted and Anna made the small mistake of taking her eyes off McDougal to look in the direction that they were coming in. She missed the dark grin that graced his features and missed the way the transmutation circle on the metal part of his gloves glowed. It was only when he reached for a small puddle of water that Anna noticed the movement before jumping back and bending her back far enough to escape the painful piercings of sharp ice. She then clapped her hands and hit the floor to bring up a shield to protect herself from the second coming of shards.

"Cheap shot!" Anna yelled as she peeked her head out from behind her hiding place. A frown had settled onto her lips as she watched him get up to continue his escape. "Cheap. Shot!"

"You've got to do what you need to live," he replied loudly before he encountered two more soldiers that he froze to death.

"Damn it." Anna hissed, collapsing the wall and moving on to continue the chase. This was not how she wanted to spend her last day in Central and it was even more unlikely that she'd be able to go home tomorrow. The art supplies that she was supposed to be looking after had been left in an alleyway with high hopes that no one would take them and bruises were already forming on the areas that she had been hit. She swore that she was going to make Roy pay for making her do this but if it meant getting a dangerous man off the streets then she supposed it was worth it.

McDougal had headed out into another alley and Anna made to go after him if it wasn't the spear that came out of the sky. It landed where McDougal once stood as he had jumped out of the way just in time and Anna stumbled back on instinct. There were slight blue sparks that curved around the weapon and when she looked close enough, she blinked.

"Alchemy," she whispered.

It was then that she heard footsteps coming to the right of her and out of the darkness came a boy with golden hair and eyes that matched. He was dressed in a red coat which was more than enough to make a statement and he moved with someone who seemed to know no fear. His gaze was almost fiery as he stared down McDougal, moving towards him with slow yet purposeful footsteps.

There was a brief conversation that happened between the boy and McDougal but Anna didn't really pay attention because she swore she recognised him. The golden hair and the red jacket and it was all about to click when they launched into a fast round of combat. Anna watched them with wide eyes and couldn't hold back a gasp when she spotted the huge suit of armour that aimed to strike McDougal. The boy had transmuted his spear into a spiked club which was made humourous by the small face that was etched into it and Anna would have laughed if it wasn't for the fact that this was a pretty important thing.

So she formed her bo staff before taking a deep breath and heading into the fight, landing a lucky strike at McDougal as he stepped away from the suit of armour's swing. He stumbled at the hit and Anna went in for another one but that was quickly blocked. All three of them then went a strike but McDougal caught it in time as he leaned back and held off them off with his metal gloves. He then went from the boy's left arm and used his alchemy with the intent of burning it off. The boy stepped back with what seemed like a pained gasp but it didn't work.

It all made sense the moment the boy took off his coat and revealed an arm completely made out of automail. Then McDougal said it and Anna's eyes widened as the words rang through the air.

"You're the Fullmetal Alchemist: Edward Elric."


	2. Tainted Blood

Anna was pulled from her sleep by the smell of disinfectants, strong against her nose and she wrinkled it in distaste. The mattress beneath her wasn't the most comfortable and the blanket was a little scratchy against her skin. It was uncomfortable but she was alive and that was the most important thing as there was another day for her to live.

Her whole body ached as she pulled herself up into a seated position, wincing as pain raced up her left side. Her right cheek also hurt something fierce due to being clocked by the rouge alchemist she had been trying to apprehend. There were a few more injuries to be accounted for including the sprain of her left hand when she had tried to block an attack aimed her way. She didn't know how she had survived as it was either through her guardian's intense training or pure luck.

Maybe even both.

But it could have been wholly luck because he seemed to have appeared out of nowhere almost. A spear made of alchemy had soared through the sky before landing where McDougal had stood. If the man's instincts hadn't been fast enough, the spear would have pierced through him from the top. It was like the moment had slowed down as Anna had turned to see who had thrown it. Golden hair with matching eyes levelled in a fierce glare as he walked towards McDougal as he had finally captured his prey. A tall suit of armour following him from behind, a red glowing light where two eyes were supposed to see through the helmet.

Anna had seen the Fullmetal Alchemist last night and she had fought alongside him as they battled to bring McDougal in. It had been intense as Anna had never really been in a fight like that before considering that all she did was work in an art store and paint. Her skills weren't often put to use because they were never really needed. Sure, there were the occasional thefts that she took care of and small issues regarding broken appliances and shattered windows but nothing so grand. It was odd seeing how she had a deal with the military, one would think they'd call her out more. To be of use in whatever situation she was called out for and to aide in her full capacity.

It could have been because she was just a kid, simply fifteen years old who didn't know the meaning of life. But there was so much that they didn't know about her and the sad thing was that there was so much she didn't know about herself.

Her gaze went to her right arm and she stared at the metal fingers before giving the five digits a slight wiggle.

There was so much she didn't know.

The usual train of thoughts that ran through her mind was stopped when she noted one of the double doors leading into her hospital room opened. She held her breath for a moment as she waited to see who it was, her eyes highly focused on it. It was then that the person revealed themselves and Anna released it in relief.

It was Major Alex Louis Armstrong.

"Major," Anna greeted with a salute and Alex nodded with one of his own before making his way further into the room. "To what do I owe this lovely surprise?"

"I was already in the building and Colonel Mustang wanted me to check up on you," Alex admitted and Anna rolled her eyes, her lips curving into a light smile.

The stupid colonel.

He worried too much for someone who claimed to hide their emotions so well.

"I appreciate it that," Anna replied, smiling kindly as she smoothed the blanket over her lap with her hand made of automail. "But you really didn't have to. I was kind of hoping that I would have been able to sneak out of here, unnoticed."

Alex then let out a gruff laugh, the sound oddly calming and welcoming. "Nonsense. I wanted to see how you were as well," His expression then turned serious. "I wanted to thank you for your help against the Freezing Alchemist. I know that you don't serve the military fully but your assistance was greatly appreciated."

Not one used to words and actions of gratitude, Anna blinked before turning her face to the side so the gentle flush over her cheeks wouldn't be seen. "It's no problem at all," she confesses with a shake of her head. "Seriously, I was already here and Mustang told me about the Freezing Alchemist so I happened to be in the right place at the right time." At her own words, something in Anna's mind ticked and she suddenly looked around the room before groaning softly.

Alex's brow furrowed, a gesture of worry. "Is everything okay, Miss Harris?"

Anna sighed before running a hand over her face, the cool metal a little nice over her heated skin. She then turned to look at Alex before simply saying, "Milly's going to kill me."

The supplies that she needed to get were gone.

This was definitely going on Roy's bill.

Alex had kept her company for a small while and the two of them chattered about all the little things that most people didn't tend to ask. That had been nice, for a military official to treat her as a human being instead of a weapon that could be used to win battles. The only people who treated her like this were Roy, Riza and the rest of the team back home.

Alex Louis Armstrong was a kind man who was big and strong with broad shoulders. He spoke in a voice that was kind of gruff and most people would take in his height and size before being immediately intimidating. But he smiled with those blue eyes and it seemed like there were small sparkles that surrounded him almost all the time. It was endearing and it frankly made Anna feel safe but there was another thing made Anna feel even more comfortable about him.

He didn't question her heritage though she could tell that he wanted to know due to the subtle slip-ups within his speech.

It wasn't like Anna hated talking about where she came from and who she was but it hadn't done anything good for her throughout her fifteen years of living.

Being who she was, being what she was wasn't the easiest thing in the world.

She found that out all on her own.

Thirty minutes had passed and Alex gave a slight stretch in the spot he stayed standing in. Anna had offered him a seat multiple times but he had declined it, claiming it improper to sit on a lady's bed. The answer brought a few pearls of soft laughter from Anna but she didn't ask him anymore, the two of them already falling back into conversation.

Time had passed by rather quickly, it didn't even feel like thirty minutes.

"I'm afraid I have to depart, Miss Harris," Alex told her and Anna nodded, a little sadden at the fact that she'd be left alone again. She wasn't exactly sure when she was going to be discharged as a nurse or a doctor hadn't stopped by to see her yet and her train due for the east had departed hours ago. It was too late for her to travel back home and she couldn't leave without those art supplies. But the idea of being all alone within this sterile place didn't seem like the best thing to her. "I came here to initially see Edward Elric."

Anna suddenly perked up. "Edward Elric? The Fullmetal Alchemist?"

"Yes, he was injured yesterday too and was admitted," Alex said, his arms going around to clasp behind his back. "I just wanted to make sure that he and his little brother were okay."

This seemed like an opportunity, Anna didn't know why but it did. She had never met the Fullmetal Alchemist before and last night had been their first unofficial meeting. There hadn't been time to talk considering they were being attacked and trying to fight for their lives. Anna briefly recalled an argument between the two of them which ended with the two of them shouting at the top of their lungs.

In all honesty, Edward and his hot temper were more than enough to ignite her own fire and it was all a big mess.

Anna released a small displeased grumble when she remembered Ed calling her a shrimp. Just because she was shorter than him, that didn't give him the right to insult her.

But she still wanted to meet him properly.

Maybe they had gotten off on the wrong foot.

" _You should be listening to me! You could get yourself hurt, you shrimp!"_

" _Shrimp!? Who are you calling a shrimp, you pint-sized boy?!"_

" _PINT-SIZED?!"_

"Say, Major," Anna began, already getting out of her bed carefully as she minded her sprained hand and politely declining Alex's help when he reached for her. "Can I come along?"

The walk from hers to Edward's room didn't even take up to a minute and Anna was surprised to see that their rooms were so close. It had taken her a little bit longer to walk due to the pain in her side but soon they were standing in front of Edward's door. Anna raised her automail hand to knock on the door but halted it for a brief second when she heard talking through the door. It was faint but Anna managed to make out a few words.

" _We….the...philosopher's stone…_ "

Her eyebrows furrowed and curiosity was quick to bubble in the pit of her stomach as two words in specific crossed through her mind. _Philosopher's stone_ , she thought, the furrow of her brow getting deeper as she delved into her head. _Why do I feel like I've heard of it before?_

But her thoughts were interrupted when Alex reached around her to open the door before gently ushering her forward. Anna wasn't ready for that and let out a soft squeak as she was suddenly placed within the room, feeling two sets of eyes on her. It was silent for about two seconds and Anna moved her gaze towards the bed in which Edward was laying in. It took a moment before she met his gaze and his golden eyes met her bright blue. They stared at each other for another moment before Edward's gaze moved to take in the bruise on her cheek and the bandage which was wrapped around her left hand.

It seemed like that was the point where their argument from last night faded away and Edward offered a small smile. "I know we don't know each other but you look awful." he finally said and rolled his eyes as his little brother, Alphonse, gasped and told him off.

"Brother!" Alphonse shouted before turning to Anna, the red glowing of his eyes apologetic. "I'm really sorry about him. My brother doesn't have the greatest of manners."

"My manners are perfectly fine." Edward protested, crossing his arms almost like a stubborn child and Anna felt the corners of her lips twitch upwards. She then shook her head and moved forward a few steps until she was standing about five feet away from Alphonse.

"It's fine!" Anna replied, deceptively cheerful. "I mean, I don't really take anything seriously from a boy who's the same height as a trashcan." Her smile was bright with closed eyes but she could feel the angry aura that grew from Edward's very being. It seemed like the height issue was something that they'd never let go.

The whole thing was made more hilarious and slightly terrifying when Alex managed to interrupt Edward's sharp response by revealing a nice bouquet of roses, displaying his utter grief at how Edward was injured. Anna swore that she didn't see those flowers before but didn't have time to think about that when the Major suddenly took off his shirt displaying his hugely muscled upper body before claiming that they could heal both of the injured teens.

Anna, Edward and Alphonse all bonded together in that moment as they screamed in complete horror and fright.

"I guess I should cancel the idea of going home today."

The time was barely even four in the afternoon but Anna knew that trying to make her way home today wouldn't be ideal. Her current condition wasn't the best and Anna could see herself spending at least another night in the hospital before she was discharged. She needed to call Gabriella and Milly, just so she could assure them that she was fine and hadn't gone missing.

Alex had left them ten minutes after the shirt fiasco and told them that he would try his hardest to visit them later. Anna was a bit surprised when that included her considering that she didn't know the man very well and he was already treating her like a part of the team. It brought a smile to her face and she waved when Alex exited out into the hall.

"You don't live here then?" Alphonse asked and Anna nodded as she made herself comfortable in the extra chair that had provided by a nurse. She managed to bring up both her legs onto the chair before crossing them in the lotus flower position.

"I live in the Eastern part," she revealed with a slight smile. "A lot less busy than here and a little less overwhelming."

"I can imagine," Alphonse replied, the red glow of his eyes turning soft and Anna immediately felt like he was someone she could trust. "What brought you here? If I may ask?"

"I needed to get some art supplies for a store that I work in," She said before sighing and running her right hand through her hair. It was at that moment that Edward's eyes moved to take in the action and Anna couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious. Those golden eyes were taking in the automail and it seemed like there were a million and one thoughts going through his mind. But Anna tried not to pay any attention to it as she continued, "But I lost them in the fight with the Freezing Alchemist. Though I'm making Mustang pay for those."

That seemed to draw a short laugh out of Edward and Alphonse shook his head, amused.

"He's such a bastard, isn't he?" Edward said, the first words he had spoken since Armstrong had left. He was fully meeting her gaze now instead of looking off to the windows that showed the hospital grounds and occasionally sneaking glances at her.

Anna laughed and nodded. "He sure is but he means well. He's...helped me a lot and he's partly the reason why I'm here." She went quiet for a moment and a white strand of hair came loose from the quick bun she had thrown her hair into. That seemed to draw Edward's attention once again but he didn't say anything though she could tell he was itching to know.

"I'm pretty sure there's a lot that you'd like to know about me," Anna started as she tucked the loose strand behind her ear. "Not that I'm being cocky but it's not every day that you meet someone like me."

"Your eyes and skin are…" Alphonse tried to say and Anna smiled a little wistfully as she nodded her head.

"I know." She said, her voice quiet as she looked down at her tanned skin. Her eyes were a bright blue while her hair was the colour white. It was quite easy to see from her appearance what she was.

"You're half Amestrian and half Ishvalan." Edward was the one to say it and Anna simply nodded.

"That I am."


	3. A Proper Meeting

**Hello! I'm back with another update and it took sometime because I wanted to make sure that the story is heading in the right direction. There were so many different ways that this chapter could have gone but I like how it turned out. I'm definitely very happy with it! I also wanted to say a big thank you to those who have liked and followed this tale and to those who left the first comments! Ah, it really made me excited to see them and goodness, it made me so happy. So thank you so much.**

 **Replies** :

 **Guest** : _I first want to say that I still indulge in OC fics because I find them so fascinating to read. I love seeing how someone's character can change a world that they love and how they can place their character within the various situations that the main characters go through. What their character's story is and what their goal is. Who they find to love! It's important to give that creativity thriving and your comment also made me so emotional because it made me feel like my story is being read by people and it's not being shot down as an OC fic. OC fics are important because it is a form of creativity and they should never be disregarded. They're wonderful and beautiful. Thank you so much once again!_

 **Guest 2** : _Anna loves her art supplies and will actually squeal at the good stuff!_

* * *

There were no words uttered after the reveal of Anna's heritage and the silence was deafening to her ears. The Elric brothers had yet to say something and the seconds ticked by awfully slow that they turned into minutes. It was always a toss-up when Anna told people about who she was and the mixture of her blood. Their reactions were divided up into three sections based on the person and their opinions regarding Amestrians and Ishvalans.

The first section included people who were rather indifferent about it. They didn't have much to say about an offspring that was conceived between two rivalling countries. They were also the type to hide their true feelings to avoid their true colours being shown due to needing to keep up a good image. These were the people that Anna preferred the most because it meant that she could get on with her life and live as normally as she could.

The second and third sections were complete opposites. There were the people who rejoiced at the fact that Amestrians and Ishvalans could come together to create life. They were often people who despised the government for what they had done to a region and felt like it was done out of pure spite. It made them happy to see that maybe there was a future where more people like her came into the flow of the world and stood underneath what Amestris was. These people were nice but it got too uncomfortable as they never ceased with their questioning. It made for awkward conversation and terribly persistent people.

Then there were the people who outright hated her and had no qualms with showing it. The looks and the whispers were what got her the most. It made her walk a little faster through the streets and look behind her shoulder every once in a while. It was the fear that plagued her and had never left despite years of training and years of blocking out the terrible noise. Certain words were never easy to forget but it did get simpler to ignore them as time went by.

She didn't know where the Elric brothers stood about the whole Ishvalan extermination war or the people of that region. She didn't know how they felt about the mixing of two people from completely opposite sides that created her. They were young, like herself, but she could tell that they had seen more than their fair share of tragedies. Whatever their reaction may be, she really hoped that it wasn't pity.

Her head was tilting towards the wide windows in order to avoid any looks that they may have given her. The sun was beginning to set behind the horizon and the room was suddenly alive with warm colours of pinks and oranges. Anna felt her right hand twitch as the metal clinked against metal and she found herself aching to draw the beautiful scenery that was before her.

If only she had her sketchbook within arm's reach instead of at the inn.

"The sunset is really pretty, isn't it?" That was Alphonse's voice as it held a gentler and lighter tone to Edward's. Anna turned to look back at the brothers and saw that they were gazing outside the window too. It confused her for a second because she expected them to have questions because despite the fact that there have been other people to not ask. But it suddenly clicked and it was enough to make Anna's eyes widened slightly before a small knot appeared in her throat.

Edward had a small smile that graced his features and it seemed to be brightened by the orange hue that fall over him. He seemed calm and almost at peace for a moment while Alphonse's armour was wonderful lit up by the colours that reflected off of him. They both seemed like something akin to happiness and it was then that Anna had never felt so a part of something.

"Yeah, it really is." Ed answered softly and Anna took in a quiet but shuddering breath as she blinked back the tears that welled up in her eyes.

They were treating her like she was just anybody else and not linking her to whatever background she had.

"It's gorgeous." Anna murmured as she finally smiled.

* * *

The hallway was fairly quiet as she made her way back to her room. There were a few nurses and doctors that passed her by on their way to deal with other patients. The sun was still setting outside and continued to grace the building with its beautiful glow of colours. The usual white walls of the corridors were painted with the usual pinks and oranges with a splash of yellow. Just like in the room of the Elric brothers and Anna suddenly found that she didn't want to go back into her room.

So she stood in the empty hallway and admired the sunset or what was left of it as the sky slowly developed a dark tint to represent a night sky. Anna briefly wondered if she'd see any stars tonight and hoped so considering she had another night to spend in this place. Leaving the curtains open so she could look at the them and perhaps find the constellations would be a sure fire way to help her sleep a little more peacefully.

Ten minutes past and Anna simply stood in silence as she allowed her mind to go blank. There were no thoughts or pressing worries breaking her down. She couldn't remember the last time she was like this and it was strange because painting was one of the few things that offered her solace. But even that could only last for so long until it was tainted with the stresses of life. Maybe it wasn't so strange after all. Another five minutes passed and from the corner of her right eye, she noted someone wearing blue walking her way. It took her only a moment to figure out who it was and she sighed tiredly before facing that someone.

"Roy." she greeted with a small nod but smiled when Roy placed a warm hand on her shoulder.

"What are you doing out of bed?" he asked and Anna shrugged before gesturing to the almost disappearing sun. "Still like to watch the sunset, huh?"

Anna huffed a laugh. "It's a small comfort of mine," she replied before sneering at him. "Like yours is going on dates and ogling at girls in mini skirts."

That earned her a bonk on the head and Anna hissed in pain as she rubbed the sore spot. "You're a real asshole." she pouted and Roy kept his expression neutral, showing no signs of remorse. Silence settled over them like a warm and comfortable blanket as they stared out of the window. His hand stayed softly upon the curve of her shoulder and the simple gesture was enough to remind her that she wasn't alone in the central city, hurt and quite vulnerable. But then the hand squeezed her shoulder and Anna turned to look at Roy with a questioning gaze.

"I heard that there's been miracles happening in the town of Liore." Roy began and Anna's eyebrows furrowed. The hand on her shoulder then tightened and Anna found herself being turned in the direction of her room. She took this as a sign to walk and her feet started to take steps down the hallway. Anna made no move to look at Roy but she had to ask about what he had meant by miracles.

"They call him Father Cornello and claim him to be a prophet," he continued. "He has performed what they see as miracles in their eyes and he's gained quite a big following due to this. He's also the founder of the Church of Leto."

"The god of the Sun." Anna murmured, listening intently as they neared the door that led to her room.

Roy nodded. "Yes, the god of the Sun and I was thinking that maybe...he could help you in some way." That was when they both stopped and Roy released her shoulder in order to come and stand in front of her. Anna raised an eyebrow before chuckling though the sound carried a lilt of confusion mixed with disbelief.

"I thought you didn't believe in miracles," Anna replied as she leaned against the wall beside him and crossed her feet by the ankles. "And you know that I don't believe so why would any of this help me?" The whole thing sounded ridiculous that it made Anna want to laugh because there were no such things as miracles. In a world like this, they simply didn't exist and desires were only achieved through the work that the individual placed into them. If miracles were true then Anna's problems would have been solved a long time again but here she was, still struggling on finding her truth.

"Because there could possibly be something else beneath all of it," Roy replied before dipping his hand into the left pocket of his trousers. He took out a folded up piece of paper, handing it to her and Anna took it slowly. Opening it, she saw that it was a note from for Cornello to say that she was there to see him on State business. "You can only try, right?"

A small bubble of laughter tickled her throat and she looked at him with eyes that held the emotion of gratitude within them. "Thanks." she told him with a light smile and Roy shrugged, giving a smile of his own.

"No need to thank me."

Anna rolled her eyes playfully and turned to the door of her hospital room. She stared at it for a moment as she thought of all that she had do it. There was no way she could go home at the moment but she was already overdue on arriving home. Plus she still hadn't made the phone-call to Milly and Gabriella yet and it was only a matter of time before they both stormed into Central with eyes blazing. A chill raced down her spine as she could already feel Gabriella throwing clothes into her suitcase so she could catch the next train into Central.

Turning to Roy, she had made up her mind.

"Please call Milly and Gabriella for me and let them know that I won't be able to be home for a few more days," Anna requested and she would have laughed at the paling of Roy's face if she didn't already know the consequences of calling those two. "Don't tell me you're scared of grandma Milly and Aunt Gabriella." She teased and couldn't help but laugh this time as Roy was quick to compose himself, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Why can't you tell them?" Roy asked.

"Because they'll kill me and it's your fault that I'm here in the first place." Anna replied.

Roy's eyes narrowed. "I wasn't the one who told you to come to Central."

Anna furrowed her brow. "I needed to collect supplies and I'm obligated to tell you where I'm heading to because the military is paranoid that I'll run off and join the other Ishvalans."

That halted Roy in his words and it was then that Anna knew she had won. With a victorious smile, she rested her metal hand on her hip and tilted her head to the side. "So you're going to call them and also tell Milly that you'll get her art supplies and then some."

"Playing the Ishvalan card," Roy murmured with a sigh. "That's cruel."

"The world is cruel, Mustang," Anna said as she opened her hospital room door. "I've gotta use the advantages I have when it counts," She grinned widely before stepping through the threshold. "You've gotta use them in a world like this." Her voice had taken a different tone as the liveliness within it had dulled significantly. Though when she turned to face Roy, the grin was still evident upon her features but it was obvious that the playfulness had now gone.

There was no point asking her about it as she was never one to truly talk about her feelings but there were little gestures that helped.

"Let's get you discharged." Roy said before beginning to walk down the hall. Anna blinked at the spot where he just stood before shuffling past the door-frame and watching him walk away. She opened her mouth to call after him but only smiled before walking back into her room and getting herself dressed so she could finally leave this place.

The smell of disinfectant was just beginning to drill on her last nerve.

* * *

All she had were her clothes from that fateful night but she noted that they had been washed and folded neatly onto the spare chair in the room. It took her a bit of time due to the sprain in her left hand but she managed to get her clothes as well as she could.

Her navy-blue jacket came to rest over the crook of her right arm after she had released her hair from the messy bun it had been in. The white strands tumbled down her back before resting at her waist and Anna ran her metal hand through carefully to remove any tangles. The port around her shoulder ached as the automail gave a small creak. It had been quite while since she had gone for maintenance so maybe after Liore, she'd need to book a trip to Rush Valley. Then she experienced the pain of getting hair caught into one of the small joints of the fingers and struggled for about a minute before she could free herself.

She really did hate it when her flesh hand was out of commission.

With a last look around the room, Anna exited into the hallway and began walking towards the reception. Plans were already whirling in her mind as she thought about going to Liore and meeting this Father Cornello. They said that he supposedly performed miracles both big and small but it was quite hard to believe. In Anna's world, miracles didn't exist and she certainly wasn't about to believe in them just because an old man said he could do them. It all seemed to be some sort of scam but Anna didn't know how he would be able to pull things akin to miracles off. The possibility of alchemy was always high but then there was the theory of equivalent exchange. Anna didn't know much regarding alchemy because she grew up studying alkahestry which hailed from the land of Xing. But she did do some reading in her spare time within Gabriella's study and knew that in order to perform alchemy, something had to be given in exchange. That was how the whole thing worked, this was what it was all based on.

So it wouldn't make sense if the priest performed something so powerful but didn't have to pay a fee. It pained Anna to think this but maybe he really did perform miracles and if he could, maybe he would be able to help her gain back what she has lost.

"Anna?"

At the sound of her name, Anna came out of her thoughts and saw the Elric brothers who were stood a few feet away from her. Ed was no longer dressed in the hospital attire and was sporting his usual clothing including the noticeable red coat. His brother was still wearing the suit of armour which threw Anna off a little but what threw her off even more is the flow of chi from both of them. She hadn't noticed it before due to all the high tension and basically the tiredness that drained her body. But Ed's was fully there and present while Alphonse's was-

He was empty.

"Hi," she decided on instead as she walked towards them with a friendly smile. "You guys are getting discharged too?"

"Yeah," Edward replied, both of the brothers waiting until she fully caught up with them. "Colonel Mustang came to see us and the doctor declared that I was fit to leave."

Anna's smile widened. "Ah, Roy. I should have known he'd come to bail us out since we technically can't do it ourselves."

Both Edward and Alphonse stopped in their tracks for a moment and Anna noticed it before turning to look at them. They were sporting obvious looks of surprise at the way she familiarly called the Colonel by his first name and a flush of embarrassment coated her cheeks.

"I mean, Colonel Mustang!" she exclaimed quickly, her cheeks growing even darker as the embarrassment crested. "He's just been like a father figure to me and obviously, I can't call him dad or father so-"

"Father figure?" Edward picked up on before his features softened. "Lost your father?"

Anna stopped in her downward spiral and tucked a few strands of hair behind her left ear. This was always a sensitive topic and one that she didn't share with most people. But with the soft look that Edward was giving her as well as the open and honest glow of Alphonse's eyes, she somehow knew that she could trust these two.

"Yeah." Her voice was a quiet murmur as she looked down at the floor. "Both my mother and my father. I was really young at the time so I don't really remember them."

"We lost our mother too," Alphonse replied softly and Anna lifted up her head to look at him. He was a tall and intimidating suit of armour but Anna didn't get a single vibe of hostility from him. There was nothing but gentleness there. "We lost our mother when we were young and our father…" he trailed off and it wasn't hard to see that their father was a difficult topic to discuss.

Anna even saw and felt the tension that raced through Edward's shoulders and saw how his gloved hands curled into fists. It was definitely a sore topic and Anna decided to move them away from something that was littered with hurtful memories.

"I've never been to Central before!" Anna suddenly said and smiled sheepishly when they turned to look at her, confused. "Well, I have but I never had the chance to look around," She turned to gaze outside the window and noted how the city was already coming to life. The lights that illuminated the buildings and streets in the same way that it did for the East City but it was entirely different. "I usually come here to collect art supplies for the old lady I work for back home."

Alphonse perked up at that. "You're a artist?"

Anna nodded with a smile. "Mhm! I do commissions for people and work in a small art store within the Eastern part. It's a nice and quiet job which pays quite well."

"That's so cool!" Alphonse exclaimed and Anna's smile turned bashful as she waved him off. "I would have loved to see some of your work."

"I would have loved to show you!" Anna said happily. Even though she was quite shy about showing people her work, it always gave her a rush to see how people reacted to them. "Though it's a shame because I left my sketchbook in the inn I'm staying in."

Both Anna and Alphonse deflated in unison.

Edward didn't say anything but it was obvious by the light smile on his face that he was enjoying the conversation. "It surprises me though," he began as he walked slightly ahead of them. "That you do art because I thought you were in the military due to helping us fight the Freezing Alchemist."

Anna nodded. "Yeah, I'm not officially in the military but because of my alkahestry, I'm sort of expected to help." She avoided adding the part about how the military also expect her to help them because she's half Ishvalan and powerful enough to start something like a revolution. So it was better to keep her under their wing than lose in the country where she could potentially rally.

"Alkahestry?" Alphonse asked as Ed tilted his head back in curiosity. "What's that?"

"It's the Xingese form of alchemy," Anna explained. "Except it's more based around medicine and the human body," She then paused for a moment as she tried to bring forth the most important points about the practice. "Ah, yes. The Dragon's Pulse-"

That was when Roy rounded the corner and caught sight of the three of them leisurely making their way down. He smiled towards Anna but then that smile turned into a smirk when he took in the sight of Edward. It was entertaining to see how Edward practically bristled at the sight of Roy and Anna felt laughter trickle the inside of her throat but she held it down.

"I see you've met Anna Harris," Roy said, stating the obvious and Edward rolled his eyes before shoving his hands in the pockets of his coat. "No need to act all angry, Fullmetal. I'm just here to discharge you all so you can continue your journey."

"The journey we'd still be on if it wasn't for the fact that you called us here," Ed grumbled and let out a small noise of pain when Alphonse flicked him at the back of the head. "Ow. Why did you do that?"

"Be grateful, brother," Alphonse replied as he clasped his gloved hands in front of him. "The colonel has been more than helpful and it is a part of our duty to help if it's needed," He then tilted his head left to right. "And your duty of a State Alchemist."

Anna couldn't help but smile as Ed turned to glare at Alphonse but could tell that Ed had acknowledged his words. But then she wondered about the journey and her curiosity was definitely peaked. There were so many questions she wanted to ask about the brothers and she briefly wondered if Roy would tell her when they finally had some time to themselves. She could always prod him for the information but knew it wouldn't be in his place to tell.

They were an odd pair of people but the relationship that they had with each other was strong. Anna could feel it coming from them in gentle waves. A brotherly love that was solid before but had now become unbreakable due to a tragic and traumatic situation. There was a lot of torment hidden beneath tough exteriors but Anna simply keeps it to herself. Certain things weren't meant for her to know until it was willingly shared with her.

"Fine," Edward grumbled before jerking his head in Anna's direction. "Yeah, I've met Anna Harris. The short girl who jumped into the fight yesterday and almost got herself killed," It was then that Anna felt her eyebrow twitch. "That was a pretty reckless move."

Something within Anna snapped and soon she was glaring daggers at Edward. He was smart enough to take a step back but then met her glare dead on.

"Well, I should say the same since someone as short as you shouldn't even be a State Alchemist." Anna was quick to shoot back and Alphonse sighed while Roy placed a hand over his head with a slow shake.

"Did you just call me short?"

"Yes, I did. Shorty."

Edward let out a displeased hiss and moved to face her properly, his shoulder squared for battle mode. "You're shorter than me! You mini girl!" he yelled and Anna grumbled as her metal hand curled into a fist.

"Half-pint!"

"Pip-squeak!"

"Midget!"

Alphonse looked to Roy before chuckling rather nervously, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck. "Sorry about this, Colonel." he said, truly apologetic but Roy shook his head, his hand moving there to cup his chin.

"No need," he replied, watching in amusement as Edward and Anna argued with each other but took in the playful fire within Anna's eyes. He hadn't seen that in a long time, so long that he was sure he had never seen such a flame. "This is good."

Maybe this was what Anna needed.

Someone to light the fire within her once more.

* * *

 **I think the journey can truly begin now as the next chapter will probably be set in Liore! There are ideas forming within my head already for what can happen in there as well as more Anna, Edward and Alphonse interactions. I'm quite excited!**

 **Reviews would be much appreciated! Thank you. :)**


	4. Onwards to Liore

**I bring forth another update and I never fail to get excited when sharing a new chapter with you all. The progress bar is building which is always a big thumbs up. :D I hope you all enjoy it!**

* * *

Anna entered the room in the inn that had become her own for the last week. It was comforting and cosy and almost made her feel like she was back at home. The bed had been made and she also noted that her things had been arranged in an organised manner. Usually the idea of someone handling her belongings irked her but she had grown fond of the people who owned the inn.

It was surprising to come back to faces twisted with worried relief and questions asked in concerns. She truly didn't expected them to care much about her and what she did. But they had taken her in and treated her with more than the bare minimum of kindness that any human should receive. The warm hug she had been given by the wife was more than enough for the familiar sting of tears to caress the corners of her eyes. Then they had almost fell when the husband patted her shoulder comfortingly with a soft smile that a father would give. She didn't know how she made it through dinner without crumbling into a crying mess but she held herself together until the tears no longer threatened to roll down her cheeks.

Her hair had been re-tied into a loose bun by the wife due to her left hand being out of commission. The doctor had told her the sprain would take about forty-eight hours to heal and she would be able to get off the support bandage tomorrow.

" _Just make sure not to place too much stress on it for another two to four days._ " he had told her and Anna nodded even though she knew that wouldn't be possible. She had a case to deal with Liore and there was no clue if the priest was going to be as kind and giving as his followers said. There were always situations where she would need to get her hands dirty and she couldn't afford to be slow even when she didn't have to be.

It was already late into the night when Anna decided to drew herself a bath so she didn't have to rush in the morning tomorrow. The water fell into empty tub in a violent mess before it soothed into a forceful stream that raised the water level higher and higher. She slowly reached out to test the temperature of it and decided that it was a little too hot but that was how she preferred it. Her clothes were taken off and left in a pile on the floor before she stepped into the steaming water with a gentle sigh. The heat felt good against her skin and calmed the tension within her muscles that had been there ever since she fought that fight.

Isaac McDougal had been a strong opponent and fought with the spirit of someone who had everything to lose. There had been a manic glint in his eyes as he attacked and evaded and escaped into the night with his focus fully set on activating those alchemic circles. What had they been there for? What use did they have? They glowed an ominous red when activated and shot lines of pure energy into the sky. What had they been intended for? That was something she would never know because the one man who could tell anyone was dead.

Anna sank further into the bathtub as she remained cautious of her arm made of automail. She glanced at it for a moment before lifting the limb up into the air so it caught the light. Her eyes took in the intricate details of the fine work done and there were times were she simply stared at it in awe because this had given her the ability to fight again. Slowly, she curled the metal digits and there was the familiar clang of metal against metal which brought about so many memories that scrambled inside her head. The silver gleamed in the low dim of the bathroom light and Anna simply stared for as long as she could before looking away from it. Questions began to form like they always did which irritated her beyond belief because she didn't know how to answer them.

There were no answers to quell the thirst of curiosity that made her throat so dry. It was like being in the desert for days without water and not even being close to reaching some form of salvation. Anna had been living like this for most of her life but it was only now that she was able to properly look for what she needed to find. It didn't matter how long it would take as long as it heeded her the results that she desperately craved.

Closing her eyes, Anna took a deep breath before fully submerging into the water and allowing the thoughts to wash away.

Even if it was only for tonight.

* * *

A car had come to pick her up in the early hours of the morning and Anna mentally cursed Roy as she fumbled about the bedroom at six in the morning. She understood that Liore was quite the journey but that didn't mean she forgave him for making her lose precious hours of sleep.

Anna packed her suitcase as quickly as she could before getting herself dressed into a pair of shorts and a hoodie that was a size too big. She managed to brush out her hair and tie it up into a low ponytail before her boots were pulled on and her suitcase was in her grasp. There was no time for breakfast but the couple were kind enough to give her a packed lunch with one of those smiles that warm the soul.

"Don't get into too much trouble." the wife warned her, and Anna smiled almost bashfully as she nodded.

"I promise." she said with a thankful smile and knew that all she could do was try. "Thank you so much for taking care of me," Anna added as she bowed gratefully. "You've both showed me so much kindness and I hope to repay you for that soon."

A warm hand came onto her shoulder and Anna looked up to see both of them smiling in amusement as they shook their heads. The husband, whose hand was on her shoulder, grinned and patted it once before pulling it away.

"You remind us of our daughter who's currently traveling at the moment," he said, his voice fond as he thought of her. "Strong headed and willing to do whatever it takes to help whoever she can." He sighed and moved to wrap an arm around his wife who smiled. "Just come and see us again when you're in town. So we know you're doing okay."

"And we'll always have a bed open for you," the wife chimed, her voice so wonderful and soothing that Anna could listen to it for hours . "So never hesitate to drop on by."

It was lucky that she had to leave at that moment because if she stayed any longer, she wouldn't want to leave. A last burst of affection drove her to give tight and grateful hugs to the couple as she gave her thanks once more. Then she was out the door and into the world to go on the next quest that would hopefully take her to lead her to the answers she needed.

* * *

"I have a message for you from Colonel Mustang." the driver told her as they arrived at the station after a ten minute drive. Anna had been about to exit the car when his words pulled her back and she settled into her seat once more with eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"Oh really?" she asked and the driver nodded before clearing his throat.

"He told me to tell you to take care of yourself and not to create too much mayhem." he said, the words monotone but it did nothing to displace the meaning behind Roy's words.

Anna's left brow twitched but she smiled nonetheless as she nodded her head. "Message received," she replied and made to get out of the car. She fetched her suitcase from the boot of the car and made her way to the passenger window before knocking the glass. The driver peered at her before rolling the window down. "You tell him that I'll stop creating mayhem when he does." That brought a smile to the driver's face and Anna winked with a wave before running up the steps of the train station.

Her ticket was already on her person and she got hold of a train schedule as she wandered through the crowded place. Her eyes were set on the schedule which caused her to bump into people more than once. She apologised profusely before going back to her task to find her platform. Her train was due to leave in the next ten minutes or so and she couldn't afford to miss it. Anna craned her head a little bit to see over the crowd before spotting the tall sign that read platform number 2.

"Awesome!" she cheered to herself as she made her way through the throng of people and arrived at the train destined for Liore. People were already boarding and it didn't look to be a full train which meant it would be near empty by the time they got to their destination. It was a bit strange to her though as she thought that people would be jumping at the chance to see the priest who claimed he could do miracles.

A snort left from Anna as she moved to board the train and began to climb the two steps. "Miracles, my ass." she muttered and was about to fully enter until she heard someone call her name.

"Anna!"

The voice was familiar and it was that fact that made her turn around and see a tall suit of armour walk her way. The suit of armour was accompanied by the boy who wear a loud red coat and whose hair could rival the sun.

Anna sighed before giving a smile and waving at them as they grew closer. "What are you two doing here?" Anna asked as she stepped down from the train so other passengers could get on. "Heading to Liore?"

"Yep," Edward replied before furrowing his eyebrows. "What about you?"

"Same," Anna said before placing a hand on her hip. "I've been given orders by Mustang to go and see what all the commotions about and honestly because I'm curious." Edward gave her a look which then made her laugh sheepishly, albeit nervously. "Look, I'm interested in the concept of miracles and I want to see if the guy's doing the real thing." It was a complete lie because she couldn't give a damn about miracles but she couldn't exactly divulge why she was on her mission.

But then the two brothers shared a quick look which Anna was more than lucky enough to catch. There was something hidden within the glance they exchanged and Anna's curiosity was piqued in an instant. Her lips parted as a question had formed itself and was ready to be asked but she held it back because she knew it wasn't her place.

They didn't have to tell her their secrets when she wouldn't tell them hers.

"Looks like we're riding together then." Alphonse said, sounding rather happy and Anna couldn't help but grin.

"It looks like we are," she replied before stepping onto the train and waving them to follow her. "Come on, I'll find us some seats." She then turned back to Alphonse with blue eyes that had suddenly come alive with excitement. "And I can show my art since my artbook is here!" Anna then stopped herself before her cheeks flushed at her sudden forwardness. "Only if you want to see if, of course!"

"Are you kidding? I'd love to see it!" Alphonse exclaimed and Anna felt her embarrassment wash away before beaming. She then looked at Edward and couldn't help but ask for his approval to see if all of this was okay. He was the older sibling and even though he didn't make decisions for them, she could tell that he was quite protective over his younger brother. There was a hint of tension within his shoulders and he seemed to have been eying her with caution as she talked. It was understandable as people weren't to be trusted even if they appeared to be nice throughout the whole time one meets them.

So she waited for the brief second it took until Edward shrugged his shoulders and that brought a small smile of relief to her face. It was kind of endearing to see how much he cared and she found herself wishing for a sibling to protect and also be protected by.

They made their way down the carriage until they spotted seating that was enough for the three of them. Alphonse took one seat for himself while Anna sat near the window and Edward sat by the end of their shared bench. It was relatively quiet for a few moments and quite uncomfortable as no one talked for what seemed like an eternity. But then Alphonse shyly asked if he could see her sketchpad and it all didn't seem too bad after that.

The train began to move and soon they were lost in their own world. Alphonse looked upon Anna's work in awe as he flipped through the pages and studied the details within the drawings. It wasn't that much later that Edward was looking through it too and there was a real sense of awe upon his features. Anna didn't really know how to react but her thanks did not go unheard as she was gifted with compliments that she was never used to. It soon ended with them seated in their original places and Anna flipping through her own sketchbook. She didn't know what made her say it but she felt like she suddenly had to be truthful.

"I have no interest in miracles." Anna confessed as she kept her eyes on a sketch of the sunset. That had been done in her room after she had eating an early dinner with Gabriella. It had been a chilly day and keeping the window open was a bit like torture but she endured it. "I'm going to Liore because I want answers." She rested her head against the slightly shaking wall of the carriage and felt the cool breeze from the open windows caresses her face. "Roy said that maybe he would be able to help."

There was a silence that held for about a moment before Edward finally spoke. "We're looking for answers too," he revealed and Anna tilted her head to look at him. He wasn't looking at her or even at Alphonse but into the distance as if there was something he could see. Something that was beyond the walls of the carriage and even beyond this world. "Al and I...we're in search for something that could potentially help us solve our problem...and Cornello is our biggest hope yet."

Anna's eyebrows furrowed slightly and she turned her head to look at Alphonse who stayed silent. She kept her gaze on him and couldn't help but remember that time in the hospital when she had sensed him. How his armour had felt hollow and there was nothing coming from him that a human body could give or even a mass of something. All of her training didn't prepare her for what she had felt and that was absolutely nothing which she still felt.

But just like in the hospital, she didn't pry even though the urge to know was welling up inside of her. Gabriella loved to call her nosy but Anna was simply more curious than the average person. Though she had learned not to stick her nose into where it didn't belong and it clearly was the right path to take. There was even so much for her to do regarding herself that she didn't really have the time to be getting involved in other people's cases.

Though it was nice to know that she wasn't exactly alone in her adventure for the truth.

"Seems like we're sort of in this together, huh?" Anna softly said, smiling a little as she cast her gaze back to the window and watched as the rolling hills of the countryside passed by. That earned a small laugh for Alphonse and the slightest smile for Edward though she didn't see it.

"Looks like it." Edward murmured.

It was then that their lives became entwined.

* * *

 **Okay so the journey fully begins, I believe and the next chapter is set in Liore which I'm quite chuffed to write about.**

 **Please leave a review if you'd like, I'd very much appreciate it!**


	5. Arrival

**I am back with another update! Truly, writing this fic is so much fun and I find myself having more ideas of how it could possibly go. I honestly do love building worlds and also creating characters so I'm trying to make Anna as well-rounded as I can.**

 **Thank you so very much to everyone who has made this story a favourite of theirs and who have also decided to follow it too as well as left reviews. It makes me happy to see that there are people who are enjoying this!**

 **Now, enough rambling for me and onto the next chapter!**

* * *

" _Don't worry, sweetie," a woman told her as she bent down so she was at Anna's height. Her hair was loose and fell past her shoulders in white waves. It contrasted beautifully against her tanned skin and her eyes were red, like the colour of rubies. The smile that curved her lips was kind and the tone of her voice sounded...motherly. "We'll be home soon, okay?"_

" _Mother?" Anna murmured and was a little taken back by how she sounded. It was like she was a child again and this was strange because Anna didn't remember much of her childhood. But this seemed important as it was like a missing piece to the puzzle she had been trying to put together. It was all valuable information that could eventually make a bigger picture._

 _Another person soon joined her mother and Anna took them in as much as she could. His hair was darker than theirs with it being brown. The type of brown that reminded someone of the darkened bark of a old tree that grew until it reached the skies. His skin was paler than theirs but slightly tanned which meant that he worked outside in the sun. It was his eyes that captured her the most because she was reminded of her own. Blue eyes that were bright and like the ocean on a clear day when there were no clouds in the sky. The man lifted up a hand before placing it on top of her head to ruffle her hair._

 _It was strange that she found herself laughing as she playfully batted the hand away._

" _Be strong of us, okay?" he said before affectionately nudging his fist against her cheek. "Aunt Gabriella will take such good care of you and we'll be back before you know it."_

" _Father." Anna said quietly and went to reach for his hand but it disappeared before she could take it. Her parents had already stood up and were moving further and further away from her as they moved towards the door._

 _No, Anna thought and tried to move but it was like she was wading through molasses. The slower she moved, the faster they were heading towards the door. No, she thought again but in a panic that was tinged with desperation. Her mother was reaching for the door and turning the handle before opening it up to reveal the bright light of the outside world. They both turned to smile at her as they waved goodbye._

" _No," Anna finally voiced with arms that reached out urgently. Her breathing was growing ragged as she fought to move but it was so hard, something was holding her back. "No, don't leave me-!"_

 _They began to walk out and Anna's eyes widened as tears spilled down her cheeks._

" _Don't leave!"_

It was with a gasp that Anna woke from her dream and she inhaled quickly as it felt like she couldn't breathe. Each breath grew slower as the seconds passed and Anna glanced around to see where she was. The familiar sounds of the train's wheels hitting the railway was the first thing to bring her back to her surroundings as she remembered she was on the train.

She was heading to Liore in order to see Cornello in hopes of him helping her. She was heading to Liore to see if miracles existed. She was hoping that he would be able to retrieve part of her life back.

Anna repeated those sentences over and over in her head until it grounded her and gave her a sense of familiarity. She wasn't lost and didn't know where she was going, she had a plan that she was going to execute. That was more than enough to soothe her nerves and she relaxed back into her seat before checking on her companions. Her head turned to the left first and saw Edward fast asleep with his back slumped against the seat. He seemed peaceful in his sleep as his chest gently rose and fell with every soft breath that he took. Anna then looked ahead of her and caught sight of Alphonse who was looking out of the window. She stared at him for a moment before leaning up in her seat so she could fold her legs into the lotus position. That movement had managed to capture Alphonse's attention and Anna smiled at him as he looked in her direction.

She couldn't see the smile but the way the red glow in the eyes of his helmet softened told her that he was. The sun was beginning to set as evening crept in and the sky held orangish-pink tones once more which coloured the clouds beautifully. Her hands itched to sketch out the passing scenery, the wonderful imagery that was the green countryside against the gorgeous colours of the sky. Anna made up her mind as she reached for her sketchbook and removed the pencil that she kept within the pocket of her hoodie. She flipped the book open onto a fresh page and was about to start when Alphonse spoke.

"Can...can I watch?" he asked softly, a little nervously and the look that came onto Anna's features was soft as she nodded. Uncrossing her legs, she moved herself to sit next to Alphonse and made sure that the sketchbook was positioned in a way for both of them to see. Then she began to sketch out her next creation and found herself comforted by the scratching sound of pencil against paper.

"How long have you been drawing?" Alphonse questioned after a minute of no one speaking. "You're really good at it."

Anna felt herself flush as she smiled gratefully. "Thank you," she replied and drew the curve of a gently sloping hill. "I've been drawing since I was five. It was a good way to release all the anger that a small child could have." She then laughed as she remembered Gabriella telling her about her worst tantrums. "I was not an easy child to deal with but my aunt somehow knew how to handle me. So one day, she bought me my first sketchbook."

Alphonse let out a small chuckle. "My brother and I weren't easy children to deal with either." He turned his head to look at Edward who was still asleep. This time, he had sprawled out a bit more and his hand was resting against the slightly exposed skin of his stomach. "But our mother loved us so much that she never really got angry when we messed up our dad's study or used the floor to perform alchemy," he said before sighing softly. "She was the best."

A light smile curved Anna's lips as she sketched in more details into the almost completed drawing. "Your mother sounded amazing," she said, her voice quiet. "I'm so sorry that you both lost her."

"Yeah." Alphonse looked at his brother for a brief second before turning to look at her sketchbook. "But that's how life is, huh?"

Anna finished her drawing and signed it off at the bottom of the page before holding it up against the open window. She compared it to the scenery outside before smiling almost wistfully and closed her eyes to the breeze that caressed her face.

"Life isn't merciful, is it?"

* * *

The train arrived at Liore in the early evening and their carriage was relatively empty compared to when they got on at Central. Anna stood up from her seat and almost lost her footing due to the lack of feeling in her legs. She wobbled a bit before whining at the soreness in her behind as she gently rubbed at her rump.

"Those seats are not comfy." she grumbled and took hold of her sketchbook and suitcase so she could begin to exit the carriage. Alphonse was already up and standing, leaning down to wake up Edward before Anna stopped him.

"I got this," she assured him and Alphonse looked at her with what could be detected as amusement. Anna placed her suitcase down before leaning over Edward, lowering herself just enough so he would be able to hear her. "Hey Ed," she began, her voice sounding conspiratorial. "Someone recognised you on this train and you won't believe what they just said."

Edward murmured a few words but that didn't stir him awake which caused Anna to smile. "They said that you were too young and far too short to be-" It was lucky that she had quick reflexes to move back as Edward immediately shot up with his rage mode enabled.

"Who called me short!?" he demanded as he fumed. "I'll break down their legs!"

"He's awake," Alphonse deadpanned and Anna giggled, pleased with herself as she picked up her suitcase. "Come on, brother, we're in Liore."

Edward stopped his rage before furrowing his eyebrows and scratching the back of his head. "I slept the whole way?" he asked and Alphonse nodded. "Geez, how tired am I?"

"To be honest, I slept most of the way too," Anna chirped before yawning. "And I'm still exhausted because those train seats aren't comfortable." She then frowned as she rubbed at her rump once more. "I should have brought a pillow to sit on."

"No one ever said that traveling would be luxurious." Edward replied, smiling a little in amusement as Anna rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah," Anna grumbled and began to make her way off the train with the brothers who followed behind her. It was too late to commence any research into Father Cornello as the sun had fully disappeared behind the horizon. The moon had risen to take her perch as the stars decorated the night sky in what seemed like millions of tiny dots. Anna let out a slow breath, turning to look at the brothers who were thinking the same thing.

They needed to find a place to stay.

The trio descended the steps of the station and took out into the streets. She glanced around the various buildings that surrounded them and couldn't help but noticed that they looked old. Liore definitely wasn't a city highly maintained like that of the Capital but it did give off a sense of home and pride that the people felt for it.

"So what's the plan?" Alphonse questioned after a few minutes of walking around in search for an inn. Edward turned to look at Alphonse before glancing at Anna who shrugged as she swayed her suitcase back and forth.

"We both have different goals to achieve but we all want to talk to the same person," Anna began, looking down at her feet as they walked down the cobblestoned streets. "I say that we work together in order to get what we need." She then looked at the brothers with a wide smile. "And if worst comes to worst, we'll fight each other for it."

That seemed to stop Edward in his path as he stumbled in his shock and yelped as he ended up on the ground. This had been due to Alphonse knocking him over in his own shock and Anna stopped in her tracks to look at them with a confused gaze. She then furrowed her eyebrows when she caught their surprised stares before asking, "What?"

"You're saying you'd fight us?" Edward asked before his lips curled into a deep frown. "Just what are your intentions with this thing if you're willing to fight for it?"

Anna blinked and turned her sights to Alphonse, sensing that even he had become tense. She remained silent for a few more moments before sighing. Walking towards Edward, she noted Alphonse move to take a protective stance over his brother. Anna raised her free hand up to show that she didn't intend to do anything hostile before reaching forth to help Edward up with it.

He stared suspiciously at her and Anna rolled her eyes before kneeling down so she was also on the floor. She was regarded with a strange look but Anna didn't say anything until she was perfectly comfortable to tell what she needed to tell.

"I...don't remember some things from my past," she started, keeping her gaze at her hands which were folded on her lap. "I don't remember saying goodbye to my parents or even the time that I had spent with them. I only remember from age eight and upwards." Anna then showed the hand of her right arm so they could both see the automail. "I don't even know how I ended with an arm of automail but I was told by my aunt that I got into an accident. My mind is fuzzy up until the age of eight and it bothers me because I feel like there's something I should know," she murmured and smiled, the curve to her mouth sad as she shrugged. "So I was hoping that Cornello would have an idea on how to help me."

There was a small moment of silence as they remained seated in the middle of the street. A few people stared at them oddly as they walked by but no one disturbed them aside from that. Anna didn't look up to see the expression upon Edward's face and refused to read the sort of aura that came from Alphonse's being. This wasn't something that she told everyone because the story itself was too strange. There was no way for someone to suddenly lose their memories and not know anything about the childhood they supposedly have. It also wasn't a great conversation starter and something to tell people that she had only just met. But she felt the need to be truthful with these two and she didn't exactly know why.

She had this feeling that they were good people and that was a rare feeling to have these days.

The silence started to stretch out into uncomfortable territory and Anna was beginning to wonder if she had overstepped, said too much. But then an arm made of automail, similar to hers, came into her view and Anna's eyes widened. They went over the impressive detail and extremely well-done work that was put into making an arm like this. She followed the arm up until it reached red material and Anna realised that she had been looking at Edward's arm. With her eyes still wide, she looked at Edward who regarded her with the smallest of smiles before he wiggled the metal fingers.

"I can't tell you everything but we understand what you're going through," Edward started, curling the fingers into a loose fist. "The pain of losing something so precious that you find yourself doing anything to get it back." Anna found herself nodding softly because that was exactly how she felt, it made her heart pain in ways that she didn't think were possible. "But we have to keep moving until we can finally find...some sort of peace, y'know?" His eyes softened before he rolled the sleeve of his coat down and placed the white glove back on his hand. "Some sort of solution. So we don't give up and if that means we have to fight each other then so be it."

"Brother…" Alphonse murmured, a little displeased and Anna smiled before shaking her head. She picked herself up from the ground and reached out a hand for Edward to take. He stared at it for a brief second before accepting it and they worked together to bring him up.

Anna rubbed the back of her neck with another sigh. "I should have ignored you at the station." she said, her smile still there as her hand came to gently knock at Alphonse's chest. The sound of metal on metal a loud clunk but it made them laugh somewhat. It was like they had become unified at that moment and with one look at Ed, she realised that she may not be on this journey alone anymore.

"Just so you know," Anna said as she picked up her suitcase. "I could kick both of your butts pretty easily."

Edward scoffed but he was smiling rather openly as they began to walk. "I wouldn't be so confident. I'm a pretty good opponent and Al's got amazing skills so you better watch out."

Alphonse chuckled as he waved his hands in front of him, a show of modest. "I'm not that good. Brother's simply really bad." There was definitely playfulness within those words but that didn't stop Edward from whirling on him with a rant prepared.

Laughter bubbled up Anna's throat before spilling from her lips as she settled comfortably among the two brothers, all of them talking among each other so easily.

It was incredibly nice.

* * *

In a white, endless space stood a huge gateway was that made entirely of stone. It held all the knowledge that any human being desired and all it took was a simple exchange of equivalency.

Something that was worth the amount of what that person asked for.

A young girl sat in front of that door with her knees drawn to her chest and her appearance a mess. She was dressed in a plain white dress which almost seemed to blend her into the room. Her forehead was kept pressed against her knees so her face was hidden by the white curtain that her hair provided. She sat still and didn't even make a move.

There wasn't much that she felt in this void but there was one feeling that never ceased to leave her alone.

She wanted to go home.

* * *

 **It's all coming up as they're going to see Father Cornello!**


	6. Liore

Accommodation had been relatively easy to find the night before and luckily, there were rooms to spare. The inn that they had stumbled upon was quite small but it reminded Anna of the inn that she had stayed in during her stay in Central. It gave off that same warmth that Anna had come to associate with home and she enjoyed immensely because it allowed her to feel a sense of peace.

Their rooms had been acquired and Anna said goodnight to the brothers as soon as she reached her door. The rooms were conveniently next to each other and Anna appreciated the fact that they were close by in case of an emergency. It was a little funny to think that Anna was already starting to feel comfortable with the Elric brothers.

Those that knew her well, they knew it took time before she could properly place her trust in someone. There were questions that needed to be answered by the person's actions alone. If they were truthful in the way they spoke and acted. If they did something with pure intentions instead of ones shrouded with evil. People weren't the nicest species to exist and Anna had to watch herself in this world so she wasn't played for a fool.

But the Elric brothers didn't seem like they harboured such maliciousness and it was easy to tell from the aura that they gave. Alphonse's was warm and comforting despite the fact that sorrow lined the edges with jagged spikes. It came from his soul which she could feel but there was that emptiness that Anna simply couldn't ignore. Most of the sorrow stemmed from within that void but there was nothing she could do to confirm her thoughts. But she felt more than sure that Alphonse didn't possess a body within that armour.

Edward's aura held something far different though it still kept the warmth that his brother's had carried. His own was alive with a confidence and a certainty about something hugely important to him. It held the same fire that danced within his golden eyes whenever Anna had a chance to gaze at them. That was an aura that burned bright but also carried an enormous guilt that struggled to get past the blazing flames. The guilt which matched Alphonse's sorrow with edges that looked like sharp razors.

They had both been through something tragic to earn such staples to their energies that both dull and drain the soul. Anna's only hope was that they could find what they were looking for and free themselves from the repetitive cycle that was strong enough to kill any normal human. But Anna knew that those two weren't normal and carried a strength that was enough to knock whatever came their way onto its knees. She hardly knew them but Anna had faith in them and her belief in them settled freshly among the surface as it hovered above the doubt.

She got herself ready for bed as she dressed in a simple pair of cotton pants and a black tank top due to the warmer climate of the city. The next thing she did was open her windows which provided her the view of the quiet street below. Everywhere was so quiet compared to the hustle and bustle of Central. Even East City was louder than this and while the quietness proved to a nice change, it was strangely unsettlingly. There was a flow in Liore that seemed mismatched and like it didn't belong among the people of this town.

Anna closed her eyes to find her centre before pressing her palms against the wood of the window frame. With a gentle push, her mind reached out and Liore's energy whirled around with its colour being a soft green. But then there was a underlining of red and the vibe that it gave off was one of malicious intent. She tried to pinpoint what it was which didn't amount to anything. It was definitely frustrating until a huge tower of red energy came into view as she slowly turned her head, her eyes still closed. Then she opened her eyes and they widened when her sights fell on where most of the malicious energy from.

In the distance rested the Church of Leto and that was where the red energy hailed from.

Anna cursed before running her hands down her face and sighing deeply.

"This isn't good." she whispered.

* * *

The next day found the trio seated at a food stall as the man who ran the place served them some lunch. Most of the morning was spent with Edward and Alphonse gathering the information they needed while Anna slept in until eleven in the morning. She came to find the brothers at the food stall where Edward had finished his meal while Alphonse sat beside him. It had been quite easy to find them considering that one of them was huge and made out of metal.

"Morning." Anna greeted with a yawn as she took a seat next to Edward and folded her arms on the metal counter.

"Anna, good morning." Alphonse greeted her cheerfully and Edward huffed as he turned to look at her.

"More like afternoon," he told her before raising a brow. "Do you always sleep in this late?"

"I was tired," Anna said, greeting the man behind the counter with a smile. "We got in really late last night and I was exhausted." She then moved her hands to her lower back and arched her back to stretch it out. "And my back is sore." There was a subtle whine to her voice before she rested her head against warm metal. "I'm also hungry, I missed breakfast."

Edward rolled his eyes. "If someone had woken up on time then you wouldn't be hungry." He then shook his head in feigned disapproval.

"You really want to get me going right now?" Anna asked him in a monotone voice as she turned her head to face him, her eyes were narrowed in a slight glare. "Because I'm ready to go."

"I'm ready to go too." Edward replied with a challenging frown and soon the two were glaring daggers at each other. Alphonse looked at them before sighing and helping them order the meal of the day that the chef was serving. But his soul couldn't help but laugh as he listened to the two of them playfully bicker about wake-up times.

The arguing had ceased after a short while and their food was soon placed in front of them. Both Anna and Ed thanked the man kindly for the meal before digging in. Anna squealed and wiggled in her seat as delicious flavours danced over her tongue.

"This is so good!" Anna complimented with a vigorous nod of her head. Edward agreed with a happy mumble due to the food in his mouth and ended up giving a thumbs up.

"Thank you, miss," the chef told her, smiling kindly as he wiped his hands with a dish towel. "It's simple food but it sure tastes good."

"I'll say." Edward said with a mouthful of food and Anna elbowed him for his lack of table manners. That earned her a yelp as Edward almost fell off his stool and Anna covered her laugh with a well-placed cough. The chef then slid Edward a glass of water and Edward kept those golden eyes narrowed at her as he thanked him and took sips. Anna ignored him and continued to eat her food.

She then glanced over at Alphonse and saw him write into a small notebook while murmuring something to himself. Anna then noted that he didn't have a plate of food in front of him and a swell of suspicious grew slowly within her chest. Usually, she didn't ask as they were many reasons as to why someone wasn't eating. But there was many other things that kept leading to the fact that Alphonse may be hollow after all.

"Hey, Al?" Anna asked and smiled when she caught his attention. "Are you not hungry?"

It was at the moment that both Edward and Alphonse froze. Anna maintained an innocent expression even though her suspicious continued to increase.

"That's true," the chef chimed in as he came to lean against the counter. "And aren't you hot in that armour? It's bound to get pretty heated in there especially in this weather."

Anna nodded in agreement. "That is true," she said and was quick to catch the slight and panicked glance that the brothers shared. Her eyes narrowed but it was only for a second as she placed on a voice of concern. "Aren't you hungry and hot, Al?"

"I'm not hungry and I'm not hot really, the armour is fine!" Alphonse rushed and Edward nodded in haste as he laughed forcefully.

"Yeah, he had a big breakfast since he's a growing boy!" Edward supplied and Anna only felt herself grow more disbelieving as he continued on. "And he wears his armour because it's a part of his training for alchemy and such!"

It seemed like a more than a convincing answer for the chef who accepted it all but Anna wasn't going to be fooled. She eyed the brothers who looked back at her and it soon felt like a staring contest. Her eyes moved from the red glow of where Alphonse's eyes would be to the fierce gold that were Edward's.

There was something hidden between them and it felt would help her in this quest that she had set out on. But she remembered that she had no right to ask because it wasn't her place. The curiosity itched at the inside of her throat with the desperation to ask for answers. But that wasn't hers to ask for.

"Alright." she replied and dropped the subject. Anna pretended not to see the tension partially leave from Edward's shoulders as she went back to eating her meal.

* * *

That discussion had been forgotten for a short bit as both Anna and Edward nursed full bellies. The trio had settled into quiet conversation regarding their plan to visit the Church of Leto before they were interrupted by the chef turning on the radio. All conversation halted between the three and they listened to the broadcast that played throughout the city.

 _God's children, who live upon this land, pray in faith and ye shall be saved. The sun God Leto illuminates footsteps-_

Anna deadpanned as the nonsense continued to spew out of the radio. She turned to exchange a look with Edward who seemed to be thinking the same thing. If his expression was anything to go by. Alphonse remained expressionless which was understandable considering that he (was in) a suit of armour.

The chef had been busy dealing with other customers but then made his way back to them when he had less to handle. It was at this time he decided to take a more proper look at them before asking, "You guys street performers or something?"

Edward spat out the remaining of his orange juice while Anna raised an eyebrow. "Where did you get that idea from?" she asked before pointing at Alphonse. "Is it the guy in the armour or the shorty in the red and flashy coat?" She ignored Edward's offended 'Oi!' before gesturing to herself. "Or the girl with the shocking white hair?"

"Come to think of it." Alphonse took one look at them and himself before resting a gloved hand over his helmet. "He does have a point."

"So you are street performers." the chef said with a grin.

"No!" Both Edward and Anna barked with bared teeth.

* * *

 **It honestly feels like we're not going to get to Cornello at this point but I promise you that we'll get to meet that him soon and there're going to be a lot of secrets spilled. The hard part is not knowing when to reveal certain things about Anna to the brothers and to you guys. And it comes down to the point of not reciting every episode word for word because it becomes repetitive pretty quickly. I want to be able to tell Anna's individual story while working her into the plot. So it's taking some planning but I'm hoping that it shall all fall into place soon!**


	7. Liore II

It appeared that Father Cornello had been doing something akin to miracles. That was what his followers believed as he promised them heaven and earth. The trio had listened to the chef as well as others who had felt the earlier explosion of Edward's wrath. A familiar nerve having been struck when he was referred to as small and having his brother mistaken for being the Fullmetal Alchemist.

"So this man is known for performing miracles," Anna recapped as they began to walk towards the church. They had been informed that Cornello usually greeted his followers during the afternoon and showed them the power of his miracles to gather more of their faith. As someone who didn't believe in miracles, Anna was currently trying to look at all the possibilities. "Alchemy?" she suggested and Alphonse hummed at her suggestion.

"It could be," he replied though the words carried a hint of uncertainty. "But they're talking about big things here and there's the toll that has to be paid."

"Equivalent exchange." Anna said, looking towards the large crowd that had gathered in front of the huge church. It looked like a monument as a statue of the sun god sat displayed for all to see while the man of the hour stood in front of it. Sounds of cheering and praise came from the numerous people that had came to see the man in action. It was a pretty huge crowd and Anna couldn't help but be impressed with how many people this Father Cornello had managed to screw over.

Alphonse didn't have any trouble seeing due to his tall height but Edward and Anna definitely had a problem. Edward was short but Anna was shorter than him so they both really couldn't see much of anything. Pursing her lips, Anna glanced around for a second before looking at Alphonse and knocking on the side of his armour. He looked down at her with a hint of questioning in those red hues and Anna sheepishly asked if he could place her on his shoulders.

"Oh, sure!" Alphonse agreed and waited until she was ready to heft her up, placing her safely on a spot that didn't have a spike. "Better?"

Anna hummed her approval before softly patting his helmet. "Thanks, Al." she replied, smiling and took a proper look towards the church and where the father stood. Edward had managed to find himself a box that he could stand on that was tall enough. Once they were situated with an ideal view, they watched as Cornello captured one of the many falling flowers into his hands and transformed it into something spectacular. Anna's eyes widened when she took in the red energy that generated from within Cornello's hands to produce a display of glass flowers.

"What do you think?" Edward asked them as he gazed towards the raised platform. He had a hand held above his eyes to stop the glaring sun for blocking his view. "It looks a lot like alchemy, doesn't it?"

Alphonse nodded. "It does. That metamorphic reaction is alchemy."

"But he's ignoring the rule of equivalent exchange," Edward replied, letting out a sigh. "The law is that only one volume of mass can come from the same volume of mass."

"It's strange though," Anna murmured but it was loud enough for the brothers to hear. "One cannot make something out of something else, right?" She rested her hands upon Al's helmet again and let her mind drift in thought for a bit. "From what I'm feeling, he has something that's allowing him to bypass that rule. Something that prevents him from equivalent exchange."

She missed the way Ed and Al glanced at each other before looking back at the front of the church. Her concentration was focused on that red glow of energy that appeared from Cornello's hands and how it matched up to the energy that she had felt last night. How uncomfortable it made her feel, how the uneasiness washed over her in prominent waves.

Something wasn't right here and there was more to what met the eye.

* * *

"Okay," Edward declared once the crowd had dispersed and had managed to finally make their way to the church's entrance. "Time to go inside and investigate what the hell is going on with Cornello."

Anna had soon yet to climb down from her perch upon Alphonse and he didn't seem to mind as he kept his stable hold on her. "What do you think he's hiding?" Anna asked from her perch and Edward began to shrug but stopped the gesture. His features then took on a more serious expression and Anna furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Alphonse then came to a stop once they had finished climbing up the steps before gently moving her off his back. Anna settled herself back onto the ground and blinked up at both of them as her gaze turned questioning.

"Guys?" Anna started but Edward shook his head before pointing towards the entrance of the church.

"Father Cornello has something called the Philosopher's stone," he revealed and Anna blinked once more before tilting her head to the side. "It's something that basically allows one to bypass the main law of alchemy."

"Like the whole equal mass rule and such," Alphonse added on and Anna's eyebrows rose at hearing about the existence of this for the first time. "It allows you to have full control of alchemy without having to pay the price."

"...the price?" Anna softly asked as a gust of wind blew across them and her ponytail was lightly tugged by it. "What price?"

Edward didn't look at her nor did Alphonse as both of them chose to keep their gaze upon the church. It was the first time she had seen such sorrow on Edward's face or felt the sudden weight that Alphonse's aura seemed to gain. Something had happened to them a long time ago but it was something that was kept a secret between the two of them and whoever else knew. Anna ached to know because she found that she wanted to be there to soothe whatever pain that was. But there was no reason for her to act so openly towards them and yet she was, wanting to take that sorrow away from them both. She had only known the brothers properly for a few days but it felt like they were truly locked into this because they had been through a lot.

All of them.

She wasn't expecting them to tell her anything and it didn't seem like they were going to. So she shoved that in the back of her head before focusing on this new piece of information. Cornello was in possession of something that could very well help her in her journey in recovering parts of her that were missing. It could possibly bring clarity to so many years of finding blank spaces within the recesses of her mind. It may very well bring her peace so that she could finally move on with her life. This was a huge find and she couldn't believe that Edward so easily gave it up to her even when he knew that she'd want it too so she could have her chance.

Anna moved her gaze to the white stone ground before moving it towards Edward who was still staring at the church. His golden eyes searching for something that even she couldn't see and she wondered just how lost this boy was.

"Why did you tell me this?" she had to ask; the wind growing stronger as it whipped across the city of Liore.

Edward closed his eyes before turning to look at her with a look that spoke of compassion that nestled deep within his heart.

"Because everyone deserves a chance, right?"

That response earned a small smile from Anna and she felt hope when she felt a reassuring glove from Alphonse settle upon her shoulder.

* * *

The letter from Roy sat heavy in the back pocket of her shorts as Anna made her way down the halls of the church. She had taken a different route from the brothers who had decided to go through the front which gave her a chance to look around. The hope was that she was bump into one of Cornello's many followers and show them the letter before being escorted over to see Cornello himself.

It seemed like a simple plan but the possibilities about how it could go totaled to about three. She could either be rejected in seeing him despite the importance of the letter because he was a busy man. She could get a positive reaction which would lead her all the way towards his office so they could chat about this Philosopher's stone. The last possibility was that she would find no one and just end up searching for the old coot's office by herself. Though it seemed almost impossible due to how unnecessarily huge the church was.

"It's all just for show," she mumbled, huffing as she turned right and sighed due to another hallway that stretched out in front of her. "Just how big is this place?" A nerve of frustration popped in the right corner of her forehead as she nearly her way down. But her frustration soon melted to give way to the uneasiness that settled at the pit of her stomach. Her steps that had been quick suddenly got slower as the negative energy of the place began to weigh on her shoulders.

What was this place and why did it make her feel so on edge?

Every step she took got heavier and heavier until she came to a sudden stop in the middle of a seemingly endless hallway. It was terrible, the energy in this place, as it seemed to whirl around her almost violent. Her head felt too congested and in caught in a haze as she struggled to process what was going on. There was something sinister lurking within these walls and Anna found herself wanting to know what it was but also wanting to head out of here as fast as she could.

But she had a mission to fulfil her and she didn't want to let herself down after all that she had been through. There was also a part of her that didn't want to let the brothers down despite the fact that she had only known them not even a week. It was also her duty to see if something terrible was going here and possibly put a stop to it. She couldn't leave now when something so horrible was nestled in the middle of an innocent city.

Anna took a deep breath before continuing her trek through the hallway and kept her senses sharp as she went further and further. Her mind had lifted its defences to keep the flow of negative energy out and it was then that it became easier to walk. It did feel like an eternity before she reached a slightly busier area where a few people were going about their tasks. Some of them were dressed in white while others were in black and Anna briefly wondered if it had anything to do with status. No one seemed to notice her at first as she began to walk in whichever direction seemed right. It was after five minutes that she stumbled upon a huge double doors. They were made out of a wood with simple carvings that spoke elegance. The handle was created from gold and looked surprisingly simple against the magnificence that the doors portrayed.

Someone important was behind these doors and Anna had a good feeling that it was Cornello. Cornello who was resting at his desk while he fooled a city into believing that what he was going was simply a miracle of a god. That very thought was enough to get Anna's blood boiling and her hands curled into fists as she glared at the door. Her anger rising but never had a chance to reach its peak as Anna forced herself to calm down.

"It's okay, Anna," she murmured to herself and shook her head slightly. "I just need to go in there and get some answers and hopefully," She looked down at her right hand of automail. "I can find out the reason as to why this came back to be."

It was going to be alright.

All she had to do was open the door and explain her case with the letter from Roy tightly gripped in her hands.

But before she could even make a move for the handle, something heavy and strong came to land on her shoulder. Anna immediately froze, her body tense as her hand barely curled around the door handle. Her head slowly shifted to the left to see that it was a large hand that had settled there and connected to that large hand was a man who was dressed in black robes. Anna blinked up at him with wide eyes and the man stared down at her, expressionless. They stayed in this position for a moment before Anna's instincts finally kicked in and she wrenched herself away from the man.

Taking a few steps back, she left enough space between them for her to get a head start and her eyes narrowed when he turned to face her.

"Do you have an appointment?" the man asked her, dark eyes boring into hers as they held a gaze.

Anna shifted a little before placing her hands in large pocket of her hoodie. "No," she stated. "But I was thinking that I didn't need one," A sickeningly sweet smile curved her lips. "Surely not to see the great father Cornello."

It was the man's turn to narrow his eyes as he caught the sarcasm laced within her tone. "Our Father is an incredibly busy man and doesn't have time to talk with children." He told her and Anna let out a laugh before tilting her head to the side.

"But wouldn't Cornello want to inspire children and have them believe in him?" Anna questioned and her smile lost its sweetness when she saw the man hesitate. "All I want is to speak with him for a few minutes," Her smile disappeared and she reached into her back pocket before displaying the white envelope. "I have a letter from the military, Colonel Mustang wrote it to allow me to see around."

The man eyed the envelope and Anna was quick to notice the tension that stiffened his shoulders. Anna subtly raised an eyebrow but said nothing as she continued to hold the letter up. There was more to what was being shown and Anna didn't know how deep it truly went. But she didn't want to give herself away so she simply slipped the envelope back into her pocket before nodding.

"Okay," she mumbled but it was loud enough for the man to hear. "I guess I'll just have to report back with what has happened here." Anna made to go but was stopped when the man called out to her. His voice was steady but there was a tinge of desperation but something else that seemed a little more sinister. Anna readied her guard but kept herself seemingly open as she looked at him with eyes that feigned that she knew nothing.

"Wait here." He told him, raising a firm hand that told her to stay. Anna blinked but didn't make a move as he knocked on the door. When he was deemed entry, he opened the left door and disappeared behind it into the room. Anna waited as she leaned against the wall next to the door and attempted to keep her mind under control as it raced with potential dangers and threats. She was ready to go in case anything were to happen and nearly startled when the door opened with the man walking out.

He said no words to her as he proceeded to walk down the hall, giving Anna no time to ask him what was happening. Instead, another man exited the room and he was taller than she, bald with eyes that screamed deviousness. He carried a cane with him and Anna's gaze was captured by the red gem that sat on a ring upon his finger.

He reached forward with a hand in offer of a handshake before introducing himself.

"I am Father Cornello and I am pleased to welcome to the Church of Leto."

The negative energy slammed into her and Anna felt like she was going to stumble before falling to the ground.

So that was the cause of all this pain.

That little gem that held more secrets than anyone could have.

* * *

 **I have finally managed to finish chapter eight! I'm really pleased with how it came out and it really allowed me to set up chapter nine which will definitely be the end of the Liore adventures and secrets will be revealed. Making Anna her own character is definitely a whole lot of fun and writing her own story as well is simply amazing. It's also testing my skills so there're no downsides here, I think. :D**

 **I have also gotten a commission drawing done of Anna so you'll be able to see her as I'll set her as the story cover for this fic. The artist who drew her is called Munette and you can find her on tumblr and twitter! Their art is just wholly incredible and amazing and honestly, I love seeing their work is absolutely fantastic. I can't say enough good things.**


	8. End of Liore

His hand was cold and his grip firm when Anna accepted his handshake. The touch of her skin against his was enough to send a minute shiver racing down her spine. All she felt was horribleness coming from this person who claimed to grant wonderful miracles. Someone who held such power over people should not feel so terrible and cold from within. But Anna kept her true feelings nestled beneath and allowed a polite smile to grace her features.

"It's nice to meet you, Father Cornello," Anna greeted as she nodded in a way to show feigned respect. It seemed to please Cornello well enough and he soon released her hand when Anna's grip fell slack. "I've heard a lot about your miracles and I was wondering if you could help me."

Cornello raised his eyebrows in obvious surprise at her words. "To help you?" he asked and gestured her to walk with him as he started down the hall. Anna had no choice but to follow while keeping a good enough distance between them. "And here I thought that you were coming to do military work." He walked with an air of regalness in his step and Anna couldn't help but wonder just how much importance this man saw within himself. "That's what I was told after all."

"I knew that you wouldn't see me if it wasn't important enough," she revealed with a shrug. "I assume that your followers try to get an audience with you every day so what would make me so special." Anna tucked her hands inside the huge pocket of her hoodie before smiling. "Besides, using the military is always good to give people a little shock."

That earned her a brief laugh as they turned a corner and continued down another long hallway. "You're smart." he told her and Anna managed a quick eye roll before replying, "I'd say I was tactical but I wouldn't hesitate on turning you in if I knew something wrong was going on." Her eyes caught the sudden stiffness in his back as well as the subtle slowing down of his strides the moment she mentioned that. "But I assume that nothing horrible would be happening in a holy place of worship, right?"

"Of course," he replied, a hint of annoyance mixed with a tinch of anger within his tone. "I don't even know why you're implying that." Cornello turned to look at her and there was something within his eyes that told her he was lying. But then she noticed shifting from inside his robes and noticed that his hand had reached into a pocket.

Possibly a gun and Anna didn't know if she'd be able to disarm in time without getting injured.

"Do you think anything wrong is happening here?" he questioned, falsely innocent and Anna shook her head, choosing to keep her head above water.

"Nothing seems wrong here." she replied and that appeased him before the conversation was switched back to her.

"So what do you need help with, my child?" Cornello asked and Anna suppressed the urge to hiss in displeasure at being called _his child_. But she held it in and removed her hands from her pocket to clasp them behind her back. A gesture that came across as polite and innocent but really gave her the possibility to defend herself against an attack. Cornello didn't look like he was plotting anything within that head of his but Anna could never be too sure.

"I need help regaining a memory," Anna began, her gaze far as she looked down the hallway. "Memories, even. I don't remember anything before the age of eight. It's all one big blur." Her head then tilted in the direction of Cornello. "And it's said that you could perform miracles above anyone's wildest imagination." Her eyes shifted to look at the ring that rested on his finger, the ring that somehow managed to make her insides feel like they had frozen over. "Is that true?"

"It's entirely true," Cornello replied and they soon came to a stop in front of another set of wooden double doors. Anna glanced up at it before noticing faint noises coming from the other side. But Cornello regained her full attention once more as he reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. Anna flinched but passed it off as out of surprise which he accepted, smiling down at her with something so akin to a kindness that she knew wasn't real. "But would you be willing to join the Church of Leto and become one of his loyal followers? To do whatever is asked of you for the good of mankind?" That smile then took on its true form of malice and Anna's thoughts of this man being a complete fraud were doubly affirmed.

She needed to capture him in his own web and lure him into thinking that she was on his side. Maybe he would truly give her the secret to regaining her memory but she couldn't allow a man like this to continue influencing the people of this town. So there was one thing she had to do and she would do it if it meant finding out what she needed.

Anna took a deep breath and began to reach to place a hand on top of his, ready to fool him into thinking she had accepted this new life. But there were no such thing as miracles and there were only lying scum who wanted to gain more and more power. Even if it meant fooling innocent people into believing that they could change the entire world.

It made her sick.

Her hand almost reached his and her lips parted to say the words he wanted to hear when a loud scream came through the double doors. That jerked Anna out of her quest and she immediately reacted as she wretched one of the doors open. Everything within her had been kicked into autodrive and she found herself running down one of the staircase that were on either side of a platform. She came up to the railing and witnessed Al punching the one in the dark robe in the face while Ed managed to knock out the one dressed in a white robe with his own weapon.

"Strike!" Ed cheered as Anna observed the whole situation and noted a girl who were stood a few feet away from the brothers. She seemed in shock as she clutched her hands to her chest and took in the entire scene with wide eyes. But Anna didn't have time for that as she cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted, "Ed! Al!"

Both brothers turned to look at her and Al made a sound of relief while Ed aimed a small smile her way. But then it disappeared when Ed pointed behind her while Al exclaimed, "Behind you!" and Anna felt a looming presence behind her with the same horrible feeling that made her feel so cold. She managed to move herself away from Cornello and backed away until she was near the edge of another pair of steps that led down to where Ed, Al and the girl were.

"If it isn't the Fullmetal Alchemist," Cornello said, his smile filled with menace as he gazed down at them below. He then looked over at Anna who took a step down so she was fully on the staircase, eyeing Cornello carefully. "You didn't tell me you knew them."

"And why would that have been important?" Anna retorted. "And I don't understand why your followers wanted to hurt my friends."

Cornello looked towards the two men who were knocked out on the floor before shaking his head in disapproval. "I apologise for their behaviour. It seems that those followers were acting out of line." He then smiled. "Are you here to receive a doctrine?"

As Edward and Cornello entered a conversation, Anna managed to make her way down the steps and quickly made her way to Alphonse. "Al," Anna whispered and smiled when he tilted his helmet to look down at her. The red glows of his eyes turned soft as he turned to face her just a little, as to not draw any suspicion. "Boy, I am glad to see you."

"As am I," Alphonse replied, his voice a hushed whisper. "Brother and I were beginning to worry about you but we then got caught up with one of his devout followers." He nodded his head in the direction of the girl who was intently taking in the conversation between Edward and Cornello. "Her name is Rose and it seems like he has made her a promise to bring her boyfriend back to life."

Anna's eyes widened at that. "He promised human transmutation? But why would someone even offer such a cruel thing?"

Alphonse shrugged, his armour clinking. "He's a twisted man, Anna. Making promises that he knows would be impossible unless he had something that could bypass the laws of equivalent exchange."

"...The red gem," Anna murmured as the image of it on Cornello's finger flashed back in her mind. "A philosopher's stone."

"Exactly." Alphonse replied with a firm nod from his helmet.

Anna worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she tuned in to listen to what was happening with Cornello and Edward. It seemed like Edward was getting under his skin as Cornello had grown agitated within such a small space of time. Then Edward began to advance on him with an expression that read that Cornello had exactly what he had been looking for. He was like a prowling tiger who was ready to pounce but Cornello seemed unfazed as his expression changed into one that was dark.

"Rose," Cornello called and Rose was quick to answer as she looked up at him with a 'yes!' leaving her lips.

"Pick up that gun over there." he commanded and Rose hesitated for a moment before obeying his order and walking over to pick up the gun. She picked up slowly before resting it in front of her and that was when Cornello delivered another order.

"Now shoot the Fullmetal Alchemist."

"You selfish coward," Anna growled as she moved away from Alphonse and made to stand in the middle of the room. "You're making someone else fight your battles because you think you're so high and mighty?" She gestured towards Rose with a harsh swing of her hand. "How is this love and worship if you're commanding your followers to kill people?"

Cornello gazed at her before laughing. "You're truly foolish if you think that my followers will not listen to me. I only have the best intentions for them and now you three are causing a nuisance here in my church." His laughter stopped but a smile remained on his features. "We don't need non-believers like you who disrespect Leto's name and try to pollute the minds of those that do."

"But you haven't created a safe and religious space," Anna replied softly, her eyes narrowed as she stared down Cornello. "You've created an army."

"Shoot them." Cornello quickly said to Rose, his face scrunched up in frustration. "Shoot the Fullmetal Alchemist first and then take care of the rest."

Rose struggled as the gun remained tight in her grip of her hands, her head slowly shaking. "I-I can't," Rose stuttered, violet eyes wide and scared. "It's not...right."

"My word is God's word," Cornello told her, straight and simple. "This is the Will of God." He then grinned evilly. "Rose, shoot him."

Anna watched as Rose slowly raised the gun towards them and felt her hands curl into fists when Cornello reminded Rose of her dead boyfriend. He was using that control her, he knew how much her boyfriend meant to her because she loved him so dearly. Love was a powerful thing and could drive anyone to do anything as long as they could have it. This wasn't right, someone was going hurt because of this man's greed for power and this should not be happening.

But then the gun went off and Al was hit and suddenly everything descended into chaos.

* * *

It all happened so quickly that Anna didn't even have time to process any of what was being given. All she could do was run down the hallway while knocking down a few of the guards who tried to block their path. They were being shot at and Anna didn't even know how she managed to survive what seemed like a ton of bullets coming their way. There was something more important lingering on her mind though and it was bubbling up as they quickly made a plan to expose Cornello and his horrible deeds.

Alphonse and Rose continued down the hall to figure out a way to broadcast Cornello's confession while Anna led Edward to Cornello's office from what she remembered. The plan was pretty simple to execute but Anna couldn't stop thinking about how Alphonse's helmet flew off and there was nothing there. No head there and no blood from the gunshot. He was completely empty like Anna had sensed but she still couldn't believe that she had been correct all of this time.

Then it was revealed that both Edward and Alphonse had committed the worst taboo that any alchemist could.

Human transmutation.

Questions continued to bubble and blend in with her thoughts as she helped Edward prepare the microphone so that it would be in place. Then Anna was going to join the other two on the roof so Edward would be able to deal with the situation properly. But as she reached the doors to go out, she paused for a moment before turning back to look at him.

He had seated himself on Cornello's desk with his legs crossed and expression serious. His coat had been torn as well as his tank top which gave her full view to his automail arm. She then noted his pants and how the left pant leg had been ripped to reveal the automail leg. The sights alone were enough to fill her with dread but not for the reason that many would think. She couldn't help but look at her own automail and wonder if she had attempted something in order to piss off some unknown being on the other side. But maybe it was her arm and her memories that were taken in exchange for something...like maybe seeing her parents again.

And this was how she got punished.

"Hey."

Edward's voice pulled her out of her thoughts and she looked at him, his golden gaze locking with her blue one. She managed a small smile but it failed, slipping from her lips and her flesh hand come up to settle over her face. It was warm against her flushed skin and Anna didn't know exactly what to say about all of this. All she had come to do in Liore was find a way to retrieve her memories but she got involved into this instead. So much more evil that she had no idea existed and her stubborn ass wouldn't allow her to leave as fast she could. Due to her duty to the military and also because of the brothers who seemed to have sort of accepted her.

All of it seemed so rushed and out of place but it also felt like it was supposed to happen.

"Hey." Anna replied, giving a small wave once she removed her hand from her face. She gazed down before looking back at him, thinking of what to say. He looked like he had decided to wait but then he shook his head and offered a slight smile.

"We'll talk about later." he told her and those four words were enough to douse her fears for the moment as she nodded, giving a smile of her own.

"Okay." she replied, nodding and forced herself not to think about all that had been revealed to her today.

All that mattered in that moment was taking down Cornello and retrieving the stone that he had.

* * *

Liore had taught Anna a few things.

The philosopher's stone had been a fake or didn't have enough power to continue existing as Edward said it vanished the moment he went to retrieve it. Cornello had been exposed for the crook that he was and it would be soon that an angry mob would appear at the church's door with the demand for answers.

It was Rose that Anna felt the sorriest for as the girl had sunk to her knees outside the church and before the steps with tears streaming down her face. The gun that she had used to threaten them sliding out of her hands as she tilted her head towards the sky. All her hope had been lost and everything that she believed in had vanished in only a matter of hours. She had cried and asked about what she was supposed to do now, how was she supposed to continue living despite the fact that everything was a lie.

Anna didn't know what to say and she was so tempted to hold Rose in her arms while telling her that everything was going to be okay. It wasn't the end of the world and she was still able to make it right if she managed to get up on her feet and look forward. Nothing was impossible if one put their mind to it but it was harder to do so when one's soul felt like it had been shattered.

"What am I supposed to do?" Rose had whimpered, violet eyes looking towards the sky which held the setting sun. "How am I supposed to move on?"

Edward had halted in his steps down the stairs and stayed quiet for a moment before he spoke. "Stand up and walk tall," he told her, his voice soft yet strong. "You have a body with two good legs to help you along. Keep moving, because that's what we'll be doing." Al didn't not say a word nor did Anna but she turned from where she stood on the steps and noticed that Rose was looking at them.

There was nothing more that Anna could do except offer her an assuring smile with a nod before making her way down the steps, having no idea where she was headed next.

It was hard to see that though when it felt and looked so dark, like it was impossible to come out from this.

* * *

The train back to Central was scheduled for the next morning and the trio returned to the inn that they were staying at. Anna walked to her room without saying much and closed the door behind her softly before pressing her back against it. She felt herself sliding down until she was on the floor and it only took a moment before she was breaking, tears spilling down her cheeks. Her sobs were silent as she hid her face behind her hands and her shoulders shook with the extent of her pain.

She thought that she had finally found something after all these years to help her regain her memory. But all she got was a sinister man who held the worst negative energy she had ever felt, leaving her feeling so cold to her very core. It wasn't just him but the entirety of the church which seemed like it was being held by something incredibly dangerous. At the moment though, she didn't wish to think about that because her work had been done but she had retrieved nothing.

She was going to go back home empty handed and still with parts of her memory unretrieved.

Then there were the Elric brothers and their secret.

About how they had committed the worst taboo and attempted human transmutation. That was why Edward didn't have an arm and a leg as well as why Alphonse had no body. It was the consequence that people got for meddling within Truth's domain and a price had to be paid. Alchemy was all about equivalent exchange but nothing was truly equal another human's life. Maybe that could be why she had automail for her right arm and parts of her memory lost.

Maybe she had...committed that sin.

Pulling her knees up to her chest, she rested her forehead against them and tried to think of absolutely nothing. She just needed to calm down and then hopefully, there would be another way to go about this. Another way to find out what happened to her after the age of eight, something that even Gabriella wouldn't talk to her about.

Five minutes went by and Anna was firmly deep into the peace of a blank space until there was a knock at the door. The hard sound brought her out of her daze and she didn't move until there was another knock. Then another before Edward's voice came through and he was calling her name.

"Anna?" he called and Anna found herself moving without any thought so she could open the door. He was stood there with his hands in his pockets and a tentative look on his features, something that Anna wasn't so used to seeing. Edward always looked so sure of himself and hid his emotions so well that it was hard to see what he was really thinking. But he seemed open here, honest in what he felt and Anna could see that she had no reason to be angry with him. In fact, there was never any anger to begin with, just fear and plain confusion.

"Come in." Anna said, opening the door and stepping to the side to allow him entrance. Edward hesitated for a moment before nodding and entering into the room with short strides. Anna closed the door after him and flipped the switch so light could flood the room. Edward had made sat himself down on the small couch in the middle and Anna settled herself on the bed, crossing her legs in a lotus position with her hands hidden by her long sleeves.

There was silence, one that was quite tense but neither of them made a move to talk.

Then it happened as Edward turned to look at her with an expression that held an undefined emotion that Anna still knew all too well.

"We just wanted to see our mother's smile again." he said softly, and it was then that Anna began to fully understand why the brothers did what they did.

She would have done anything to even remember how her parents looked when they smiled.

"I get it," Anna replied, giving Edward a smile when he looked in her direction. "I do. I understand the want to see your parents and to want to be able to see their smile." She glanced down at her hands that rested upon in the small space between her legs that folding them had created. "My memory of my parents are fuzzy but I've seen pictures of them and how happy they looked." Anna's smile then turned wistful. "But then the war had to take them away for me. It wasn't their fault though, they were good people. They wanted to help and my dad didn't want my mother to go alone."

"Your mother was Ishvalan?" Edward asked, his attention fully on her and Anna nodded. "She must have wanted to go and help her people."

"She was like that," Anna replied, placing a hand over her heart. "She had a big heart and so did my dad." She then hesitated. "Well...at least that's what Gabriella had told me about them." The hand on her heart was one made of flesh and blood which meant Anna could hear the beating of her heart, steady and slow. "I'm envious of you and Al though."

Edward's golden eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You're jealous of the fact that we committed human transmutation and lost limbs and a body because of it?"

Anna couldn't help a faint laugh from escaping her lips as she shook her head. "No, don't be silly," she told him. "I'm jealous that you hold some memories of your mother that you can remember. Her touch, her smile and the scent of her perfume." Anna shook her head, a few strands of hair spilling over her left shoulder. "I have none of that and I'm envious that you and Al get to have those memories." She was getting emotional again, she could feel it as her eyes began to sting with the sensation of tears but she held it back. She refused to cry again after already breaking down once. She had to keep it together.

Being seen as weak was the one thing she did not wish Edward to see her as.

But Edward didn't seem to see it that way as he got up from the couch and made his way towards her. He stopped when he was a few feet away, his gaze upon her with a look that seemed to analyse her. Anna didn't know how to feel but she felt the intensity behind his personality and who he was as a person. Then he smiled, one that was different from any of the ones that he had given her before. This one looked hopeful, whether it was for her sake or his, she wasn't sure but it did wonders on what was a bruised soul.

"If Al and I can continue searching for a way to retrieve our bodies back then you can definitely find a way to regain your memories and your arm," Edward began, his tone serious. "Yeah, it's gonna suck sometimes but we have to keep moving forward so-" At this point, he reached out his arm of automail with the hand curled into a fist. "You can either wallow in sadness or find a way to get what you want. And the only way that can happen is if we raise up and keep marching so," his smile widened, his fist wiggling slightly in her direction. "What's it gonna be?"

There was absolutely no need to think about it as Anna's mood shifted into one more ecstatic and her smile was happy, her own arm of automail reaching out with the hand curled into a fist.

"Let's keep marching." Anna decided and it was sealed when their fists came together with a resounding ' _clunk_ '.

* * *

 **This chapter was a...challenge because I was avoiding the case of basically rewriting the whole episode which becomes tedious and repetitive. So I had to skip a lot of parts which I felt didn't need to be retold unless Anna had a big role to play. This is basically getting her into the full-swing of things and I think the next chapter should be a lot easier to handle so yeah, it's all pretty good. ^^**


	9. Home

_Keep marching_.

Edward's words echoed deep within her mind as she sat in the taxi which took her home. It was approaching late afternoon when she arrived back in the East City and she had said her goodbyes to the brothers who were due to report in with Roy. She wasn't due to give in her report until tomorrow as she lived within the city and wasn't a State Alchemist. She didn't exactly work for the military either but it was said that she did for the sake of formality.

The departing between the trio was oddly emotional for Anna considering that she had only met them a few days ago. There was nothing tying them together but she felt like that wasn't completely true as her heart gave a weird tug as she watched the brothers walk away.

"I have a feeling we'll see each other again." Alphonse had told her and it brought a smile to her face as she nodded in agreement.

"I think we'll meet again too," she replied before reaching out and gently pressing her metal fist against Alphonse's armored chest. "And hopefully, we'll both have good news."

It was like she could almost see him smiling as the hard edges of his helmets mouth looked like they got softer. It was most likely her imagination but Alphonse's happy nod was more than enough to tell her that his soul was smiling.

Edward took one look at her before reaching out with a gloved hand curled into a fist. It was his one made of automail and Anna laughed softly, curling her own automail hand before bumping it with his. There was that clunk sound again but it was like a promise between all three of them that they'll one day get their bodies fully restored again. That noise was to symbolise them and their strength to continue on.

"See you later," Edward said with a half smile that Anna would later deem as a classic Edward feature. "Keep marching."

Two single words which flooded her being with a hope that there was a possibility that tomorrow would be better.

Anna nodded her head once more with eyes closed and a bright smile.

"Keep marching."

* * *

Anna thanked the taxi driver with a friendly smile and wave after lifting her suitcase out from the seat beside her. The man waved back with a smile of his own before proceeding down the street and taking the first left. She watched the car until it disappeared before turning around and facing the row of semi-detached houses that were in front of her. The houses that were filled with neighbours she knew since her childhood and who had watched her grow into who she was today.

But the main house that stole her attention was the one in the middle because that was home. It was a fairly old house with the red bricks having turned slightly brown over the course of time. There were two stories to it and it was fairly big for being attached to another house. The outside lights weren't on yet due to the sun still resting high in the sky and the windows that peered into the living room had their curtains open. Anna wandered into their small front yard and looked through the double windows to find that no one was in there. But there were books scattered all over the place with papers that held lines of cursive writing. A pair of glasses with red frames rested next to a cup of probably lukewarm coffee and Anna smiled because she knew that her aunt was home.

Making her way to the front door, she knocked on it twice before waiting patiently for it to be opened. She did have a spare key and could have used it but she stupidly left it in her bedroom on the day she headed out to Central. But she didn't have to wait too long as she heard the patter of footsteps coming towards the door before the turning of the locks. Then the door flung open and Anna looked into the warm green eyes that belonged to her aunt Gabriella.

Anna's suitcase left her hand immediately when she was drawn into a tight hug and Anna found herself holding on just as tight. Gabriella was so warm and Anna felt like she could burrow into her while relaxing at the familiar scent of her perfume. It reminded her of cleanliness and the earth after a rainfall when it had just been cleansed. That smell was enough to calm her nerves because it was what reminded her of home and how she knew she was safe.

Gabriella soon pulled back and gently cupped Anna's cheeks with the softness of her palms. Anna instantly leaned into them with a quiet laugh and closed her eyes when she felt a peck fall upon her forehead.

"I'm so glad you're safe." Gabriella murmured against her skin and it was then that Anna remembered everything she had gone through within these past few days. The whole situation with Isaac McDougal and then heading to Liore to only find that the priest was a lying crook. The injuries she had sustained while in battle and meeting two boys whose secrets were far what she had ever imagined.

It was enough to drain an entire person of anything and that was how Anna felt. It had all hit her like a ton of bricks the moment she entered Gabriella's arms and Anna finally allowed herself to go limp.

She didn't have to worry about anything for now.

"I'm sorry." Anna mumbled but loud enough for Gabriella to hear the distress and sorrow within her voice.

Gabriella did nothing but hold her even closer.

* * *

Taking a bath in her own home again was excellent and Anna sank into the bathtub with a pleased sigh. Her cheeks curved due to the smile on her lips and her eyes closed in absolute bliss as she sank lower into the water. It was warm and lovely against her skin which was grimy due to the day's travel and Anna planned on scrubbing her body until it was red.

Their bathroom was relatively small but it was the perfect size for two people who didn't use a whole ton of products. They mostly shared everything aside from a few things when it came to personal tastes. The floor was made out of a white tile which was nicely cool during the summer but deadly cold during the winter. The walls were painted a mint green which was an odd colour choice for most but Anna and Gabriella really liked it when they decided on what colour to use. Then there was the necessary things like a toilet and a sink which held their toothbrushes and a bar of soap. Above it was a medicine cabinet that kept other items such as pills and more hygiene products.

It was small but it worked and Anna loved it as it was just for her and Gabriella who were each other's family. Anna wouldn't change that for anything and hoped to keep it that way for as long as she could.

But Anna wasn't so unrealistic and knew that some things couldn't stay the same forever. She sank further into the water until her hair was submerged and her head was tilted towards the white ceiling. Her automail arm rested on the side of the tub and she drummed the metal fingers against the rim of the porcelain tub. There was so much that she had learned while traveling with those brothers and she knew that that wasn't even half of it.

They had talked about a philosopher's stone and its power to amplify the whole law of equivalent exchange. That was the problem with alchemy as there were restrictions to ensure that alchemists didn't wander too far into domains that weren't theirs. But alchemy was different from alkahestry which was what she learned when she had trained in Xing. As far as she knew, alkahestry worked differently to alchemy and the whole theory of equivalent exchange wasn't a reality. But even alkahestry had its rules but Anna didn't know how far she could she could break them.

Maybe there was something in alkahestry that could help them bypass the rule and it could translate into alchemy.

Anna didn't get a proper chance to talk about alchemy with the brothers nor did she get a chance to explain alkahestry to them. The two worked in similar ways but were also vastly different in their own ways.

"Could it be possible though?" Anna murmured to herself as she lifted her head out of the water and rested it against the tub. Her eyes turned to look at the automail and how it glinted beneath the bathroom light. It was a reminder of something that she did and maybe it was punishment for straying too far from what she knew.

It could be that maybe she had performed…

"Anna!" Gabriella called from downstairs and Anna was brought out of her thoughts. "Dinner's ready!"

"Alright!" Anna shouted back and moved to drain the tub before properly washing herself off. She set the water to lukewarm and ducked under the shower to go about her bath routine.

It was then that she thought of something and smiled.

She could ask Gabriella if what she knew anything as it never hurt to ask.

"Spaghetti bolognese!" Anna cheered happily when she arrived at the dining table and saw two plates abundantly filled with her favourite meal. It looked like Anna's nose had guessed correctly when the delicious smell of the food wafted itself upstairs. Her mouth was already watering at the sight of perfectly served spaghetti topped with a meaty sauce that made her stomach growl with hunger. She couldn't wait to get Gabriella's home cooking into her mouth after what seemed like ages.

"It's your favourite and you just returned home so I thought I'd treat you." Gabriella told her, smiling as she entered into the dining room while holding a jug of water. Anna took it from her with a thankful grin and set about pouring the cold water into the glasses already placed next to their plates. Afterwards, she settled the jug in the middle of the table and waited for Gabriella to come back before sitting down in her chair.

The two of them sat down once everything was ready and set about delving into the well cooked meal. Anna couldn't hold back her groan of happiness as she took the first bite and tasted the explosion of flavours that caressed her tongue. She had missed Gabriella's home cooking even if she had only been gone for merely a week.

There was a lot for them to talk about but they settled into comfortable conversation first. Gabriella told her about how her research was coming along and how she was delving even deeper into the world of alchemy. There hadn't been much left for her to learn in regards to alkahestry due to the fact that living in Amestris didn't provide the necessary materials. So Gabriella decided to learn about the ways of the west and was making decent headway.

Anna listened to the best of her extent but the whole topic of the philosopher's stone was still weighing down in her mind. She wanted to know if Gabriella knew and if she knew, what did she know. But she didn't ask straight away and allowed Gabriella to finish before proceeding to tell her about her journey to Central and then to Liore.

"I almost rushed over to Central when I heard what had happened," Gabriella confessed after taking a sip of her water. "I was so incredibly worried and so prepared to strangle Mustang because he knew what he was sending you into." She then laughed with a gentle shake of her head. "You should have seen Milly. The old lady was more ready to go than I was but we decided to stay behind in the last minute."

A small smile graced Anna's features at the thought of them wanting to rush towards her rescue. But it did nothing to quell the guilt that settled within the pits of her stomach. She didn't mean to worry them but her life wasn't something she valued in the moment of saving other people's.

Milly had always fondly told her that she was a self-sacrificing brat who didn't know when to quit.

"What stopped you?" Anna asked, truly curious as she twirled some spaghetti onto her fork and lifted it to her mouth. "The fact that I could probably strangle Roy by myself?"

Gabriella snickered as she twirled some spaghetti for herself. "Well, yes," she admitted and Anna suppressed the urge to grin around a mouth filled with food. "But we knew that you'd be able to take care of yourself. With all the training you've been through and all the knowledge that rests inside your brain...we had no trouble thinking that you'd be okay."

Anna suddenly found the food in her mouth hard to swallow but she managed to get it down with some water. It never failed to surprise her with how much Gabriella and Milly believed in her. Despite all the trouble that she got herself into and how reckless she could be sometimes, they always backed her up because they knew she could do it. But it did feel like they had too much faith in her sometimes and Anna was constantly worried that one day, she would fail all of them. She couldn't allow that to happen especially after how much Gabriella had sacrificed for her.

Anna needed to come out of this victorious and the only way she'd be able to do so was if she managed to locate a philosopher's stone. Then she'd be able to retrieve her memories and her arm which would end years' worth of curiosity and frustration. Getting any form of information was a start so Anna delicately tossed some spaghetti around in her plate before looking across to Gabriella.

The older woman seemed to be in her own thoughts as she absentmindedly eat another forkful of spaghetti. Her green eyes were slightly dazed over and her posture had grown a bit slouchy which was what always happened when Gabriella was deep in thought. But she wasn't in that deep as after she finished chewing, her gaze turned to Anna and she smiled.

"You've got something on your mind," she stated and how Gabriella could easily read her was something Anna would never get over. "What is it?"

The fork in Anna's hold was fiddled between her fingers as Anna thought about the right way to go about it. There was never truly a right way but there was a direction that allowed her to sink Gabriella into the conversation with ease. So she took a deep breath as she settled her fork down and rested her hands upon her lap.

Gabriella raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Have you...ever heard of the philosopher's stone?" Anna asked and found herself watching Gabriella's expression carefully as the question processed through her aunt's head. There wasn't an immediate answer as Gabriella paused mid-chew due to having taken another bite. Then her mouth worked slowly and her throat moved as she swallowed. Gabriella's nearly empty plate was pushed to the side and her arms came to cross and rest on the newly empty space.

Anna watched as Gabriella calmly gathered herself before she blinked as she was levelled with a certain look. She didn't know how to describe it but Gabriella's aura was coming out strongly confused while holding a tinge of fear. But her outside appearance showed nothing of the sort as she kept her gaze steady.

"Where did you hear about that?" Gabriella asked and Anna immediately shrugged before pushing her own plate to the side as well.

"From some travelling brothers when I went to Liore," Anna confessed. "They were looking for it because they needed it for...something."

Gabriella raised a dark eyebrow. "For what?"

Anna opened her mouth to tell her before realising that she couldn't. It wasn't her secret to tell and she would respect it even if she never saw the brothers again.

"I can't tell you." she murmured and that earned her a hard look from Gabriella but it wasn't judgemental in any way. It was one of those looks which meant that Gabriella was trying to figure her out when Anna was quick enough to lock her true emotions in. Her aura had been withdrawn so Gabriella couldn't even guess from that.

Anna's thoughts and emotions were airtight.

It seemed like forever until Gabriella stopped her searching and leaned back in her chair with a soft sigh. She ran a pale hand through dark locks before aiming a tired smile at Anna. It was something that Anna didn't know how to react to but she felt herself returning it.

"I know of it," Gabriella replied and Anna's eyes widened as she instantly leaned forward. "And I suppose you want me to tell you."

"Please." Anna said, her voice slightly pleading but Gabriella shook her head before patting the chair next to her. It took a few seconds until Anna was right beside her and Gabriella breathed in before releasing it, resting a comforting arm over Anna's shoulders.

"No need to plea, dear one," Gabriella told her. "I'll tell you all that I know."

* * *

She was due in at the Eastern Command Centre the next day and fatigue had finally set in as Anna wandered slowly through the empty corridors. The centre was unusually quiet but that was mostly because people were in their offices getting their work done.

The heels of her boots clicked against the white-tiled floors and the sound didn't even puncture through the white noise that played within her mind. It was all fuzzy and like static and one of the most annoying noises that Anna had ever heard. But it couldn't be helped because among that noise were thoughts of what she had learned from Gabriella yesterday.

Gabriella had told her which she already knew about the philosopher's stone. It was what the brothers had told her and what she had seen Cornello use. There was nothing new or surprising that unfolded but what caught Anna's attention was the expression that Gabriella had as she spoke to her. It was like it pained her to talk about the very stone and like there was more to it that she was refusing to tell.

But after Gabriella had told her what she wanted to tell, she began to clear up the dining table and Anna could do nothing but help. She wanted to learn more and ask Gabriella what she was hiding but the pain in Gabriella's eyes was too much and Anna refused to place her through it even more.

So the conversation was dropped and Anna went to bed with a mind muddled with even more questions than before.

She had also really hoped that she would find something to assist the Elrics but it didn't seem like there was anything else to tell.

The doors leading into Roy's office soon appeared and Anna pushed back those thoughts to deep recesses of her mind before reaching for the door handle.

The quicker she got this report done with, the sooner she could continue her search.

* * *

"Fullmetal already gave me his report and briefed me on what happened," Roy told her after they had said their greetings and Anna had settled into a free chair. The rest of the team had gone off to attend to different duties so it was just her and Roy and Anna didn't know if that comforted her and made her more on edge.

The thing about Roy was that he could be extremely understanding but was capable of being one of the biggest assholes anyone had ever seen. So it truly depended on just what he wanted to put her through today and Anna waited with her expectations reasonably low. There wasn't much to wait for as Roy shifted through the report that Edward had left him before he properly arranged them and placed them neatly in front of him.

"Though he has the tendency to leave out certain details that he feels aren't relevant so," he continued, eyeing her with a certain look. Anna held down the urge to roll her eyes because they both knew that that look didn't work on her and it never had. "What happened in Liore?"

Anna crossed her jean covered legs and leaned back in her chair with an impassive expression. "What did he tell you?" she asked and Roy quirked an eyebrow before resting his arms upon the wooden desk with clasped hands.

"About the corrupt priest and how the philosopher's stone was a fake." Roy replied and Anna pursed her lips before nodding.

"That's what happened," Anna said, resting a gloved hand on her thigh and tapping long fingers against her raised thigh. "The guy was a crook and he was using some sort of malicious power to control his people." Anna's other hand curled itself into a fist while her features tightened in suppressed anger. She wasn't over the ordeal and something within her made it clear that she would never be over it. Not after seeing the tears of anguish falling down Rose's cheeks as she kneeled in front of the church that had been her entire life. "We took care of it though so the people know now and it's over."

Roy didn't reply to that and kept his dark-eyed gaze on her before asking, "Are you alright? Did you get hurt?"

Anna's toughened exterior softened at the calm tone of his voice which held a tinge of worry. He wasn't going to be an asshole today and Anna appreciated that as she hated it when they got into arguments. He was like an older brother to her, even a father figure who had helped her despite the military frowning down at her due to her heritage.

He was one of the people who truly stood by her and continued to do so.

"I'm fine," Anna assured him with a slight smile. "The only damage I sustained with during the fight in Central but I'm all healed up." She raised her left hand which was the one that had been sprained. The support was no longer there and she wiggled her fingers to show the freedom of movement. "See? All better!"

Roy smiled and sighed before leaning back in his chair. "What am I going to do with you?" he murmured and snorted when Anna shrugged. "I want to allow you to keep searching for some way to unlock your memories but I'm this close to getting my head cut off by Gabriella."

Anna's smile widened. "Don't forget Milly."

"I think I'm on her good side considering I made sure her supplies were delivered," Roy replied, grinning now until it dimmed slightly. "But be more careful. People aren't as kind as myself and the team. A lot of people aren't tolerant of-"

"Ishvalans, I know." Anna said softly, suddenly aware of her dark skin and the whiteness of her hair.

A frown graced Roy's features, one that told how much he hated how Anna was made to feel about who she was. One that also spoke of guilt due to the large role he played in the extermination of Ishval and how Anna even came to tolerate a man like him.

There was a brief second of silence and suddenly Roy was standing up from his chair and walking around his desk. Anna tilted her head to look up at him with a questioning gaze and his smile was was warm as he gestured her to follow him.

Soon they were walking down the corridor and heading towards the outside of the building.

"Where are we going?" Anna asked curiously, walking with slightly longer strides to keep up with his pace. Noticing this, Roy slowed down his gait to a pace that was comfortable enough for both of them and told her.

"I think that you'll get a lot more done if you started working with the Elrics," Roy started and Anna blinked, clearly confused. "You three did well together during the fight against McDougal and you somehow came back from Liore without hissing at each other." Roy then laughed. "I know Fullmetal and if he doesn't like someone, he'll make sure everybody knows regardless of if they're a boy or girl."

Anna wouldn't have a hard time believing that and funnily enough, that was one of the reasons why she didn't mind Edward.

He didn't give a heck about her being a female.

"You're both have the same mission," Roy continued. "Wanting to retrieve something that was taken from you and working together would make bring about excellent results." He opened one of the huge doors that led to the outside and allowed Anna through before following behind. They began to descend the steps with one solid step at a time. "You don't have to work with them but I think that-"

"I'll do it." Anna interrupted as they arrived at the end of the steps and came to stand in front of a car. It was ready with a driver ready to take them to their destination and Anna briefly wondered if he had thought of this before talking with her.

"You will?" Roy asked, eyebrows raised.

Anna nodded firmly. "I will," she said. "I think that you're right and two heads are better than one but three heads could achieve awesome results." Anna then grinned. "Besides, I enjoyed working with the Elrics and I think that we'll be able to get somewhere truly magnificent."

And the three of them did say that they'd see each other again.

That answer was more than enough for Roy as he nodded his head with a slightly pleased smile before they began their journey to the next destination.

To a house owned by the Sewing-Life Alchemist.

Shou Tucker.

* * *

 ***shudders* Here he comes...Shou Tucker.**


End file.
